Dragon King: Natsuki Subaru
by MNR-AMR
Summary: It's finally here! The long awaited (REBOOT IMINENT) tale of our favorite MC Natsuki Subaru who is mysteriously a candidate for the throne! Quickly being shoved through events and guided by the trusting hands of Reinhard, Subaru is ushered into a marriage with Emilia tan just as the Royal Selection kicks off!
1. Chapter 1

**Updates: (My Autism Chart)**

 **Prologue Removed: 9/7/18 MERGE C1**

 **Chapter 1 Updated: 9/7/18 - 9/14/18**

 **Chapter 2 Updated: 9/14/18 -**

 **Chapter 3 Updated: WIP**

 **Chapter 4 Updated: WIP**

 **Learning Day: Conception: WIP**

 **Love & Joy Short: WIP**

 **Chapter 5 Updated: WIP**

 **Chapter 6 Post: WIP**

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 **I tried writing this with one person's speech per line, so it may look a little…. No, VERY fucked up, if you remember how I usually write. But, it's generally the same, albeit with a few changes. And - yes, I've been gone a long, long time, and I'm trying to come back. This is the first time in two some odd months that I've written for Re:Zero with enthusiasm, so I'm trying not to waste it. Please enjoy!**

 **(If you reviewed these chapters already, and want to send feedback for the new ones, send me a PM.)**

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 **Synopsis: Instead of the insignia being handed to Emilia by Felt, it is instead handed to her by Subaru, as Felt and Rom had escaped during the battle with Elsa. Some debate ensued, and it was decided that Subaru would accompany Emilia to the Roswaal mansion. However, the only one in the group aware of Subaru's candidacy is Reinhard, who comes with to ensure his safety.**

Dragon King : Natsuki Subaru

Arc 1, Mansion Days

Chapter 1, The Roswaal Estate

The carriage ride was a rather comfortable one. Subaru had fallen asleep almost as soon as he sat down on the unexpectedly comfortable material that made up the interior seats. Sitting up, no less. It was much the same for the half elf, whom he finally learned the name of just before leaving, was Emilia.

Reinhard took over the helm of the carriage to allow Ram - a pink haired Oni, as what Reinhard said she was of that demi-human lineage, to sleep as well. So, the three of them ended up sleeping in the cabin of the carriage as Reinhard directed it to their end destination.

Waking up to something he was not very sure was real, he breathed in heavily as he started to blink, wiping sleep from his eyes as he slowly gained his bearings.

All around them, as far as he could see, were thick evergreen trees and shrubbery. The smell of woodland filled his nostrils as the dark green and brown foliage invaded his eyesight, it was a rather peaceful way to awaken.

And then he turned to look at Emilia, the girl he worked so long and hard to save. All of that suffering just for a stupid little insignia.. yet, here he was, and he could say that it was worth it.

Watching her undisturbed figure lightly breathing as she slept, he could only feel butterflies in his heart, and had the overwhelming urge to take her by the hand and shower her with unrelenting love. Yet,

"Pervert." Came a familiar yet also unfamiliar voice to his right. Instantly he turned to see who the culprit was, though he already knew the answer to that he had to make sure. And to his amazement, he was actually leaning on her.

"You use me as a pillow and then when you wake, you gawk at an undefended girl with vicious and hungry eyes. I would say you're a predator, but that would be giving credit where it isn't due." She sighed. "Still, I cannot overlook your… saving of Emilia sama. I will inform her of this action of yours later, however."

Subaru was assaulted relentlessly by this woman. This maid. She was looking at him with… what is that? CONSIDERATION?! No, it can't be. "Har har. Can't a guy look at somebody he's fallen in love with without being made out to be a creep? And, if I was laying on you .. why didn't you move?"

Though with a shrug, she replied. "I was asleep for the most part myself, if I had moved it would have been an inconvenience for both of us. But now that you're awake, would you mind sitting straight?"

Noticing that he was in fact leaning on the girl, he.. made himself even more comfortable at her expense. "Since you asked so nicely, I suppose I can oblige." He said with a straight face, now looking up to the girl from her lap. Essentially he stretched his legs out and now took up the entire bench and truly did use her as a pillow.

The red haired maid showered him with daggers… figuratively, she was rather miffed at this man's behavior. But before she could say something, an eruption of laughter came from the other side of the carriage.

Emilia had awoken, and she was looking wide eyed in amusement at the two. It was rather easy to tell that, hilarious events such as this one here are very rare for her to see.

"E-Emilia-tan! It's not what it looks like, she forced me to do this! It's against my will!" He fake pleaded for the girl to rescue him from the evil maid who simply had her eyes closed with a thoroughly displeased look on her face, all the while the half elf only burst into more laughter as he pushed the ball forward in a way she didn't expect.

Though he decided to sit up straight, he was definitely going to get some kind of repercussions from Ram later, or maybe now, whenever she decides really.

He started conversing with the half elf in a way that would make you think he had known her his entire life, his words were said with such familiarity and closeness, it was rather difficult for the maid to ignore Subaru's blatant behavior… he definitely was as he said he was. In love. And, even with a slight tinge to his cheeks as he got the girl to laugh once again, he was definitely not being shy about it.

Actually, she started to recall what she knew about him last night. He was like this then as well.

And Emilia being Emilia, she was all too captivated by it. They had very similar mindsets actually, and with unladen trust that amounted to 'quite a lot' she seemed perfectly fine with this strange man coming with them.

"It's good to hear everyone's up, aah… we'll likely be there in fifteen minutes." Reinhard called to them from his place at the helm, and with that a single house came into view in the forest to the left of them.

"So we woke up right on time, Eh Emilia tan?" He asked her, who was still a bit outwinded due to her laughing fit.

"Tan? Er… yes, we're almost there. It's a little past the village, actually." She says, pointing forward. Sure enough there were signs of human activity, more houses and a few offshoot foot paths now. And, a few younger men all headed out on one trail.

"If my memory serves me right, it's named Arlam. Has around three hundred living here." Reinhard chimed in, filling in Subaru. "Ram, do you recall if Roswaal sama is in at the moment?" He further said.

"He shouldn't be there at the moment, however he should be back within… the hour, if I'm correct." She replies, taking the chance to move away from the boisterous male next to her.

"Alright. I'd like to call a meeting between him, Emilia sama and Subaru sama as soon as possible. It's rather urgent." He said, though the text went over their heads awhile, Subaru was terribly confused by it. Likely, because he was already used to 'by name' redderence by Reinhard.

"Subaru… sama?" Ram asked, now rather perplexed.

"Sama?" Subaru repeated.

"Sama… Huh? Subaru, you hold titles?" Emilia got rather quiet here…

"Yes, the meeting regards that. It is actually the reason I am with you on this trip." He replied. And with that, the three occupants only held either confused looks or in the case of RAM, she was almost frozen. Did she earlier just insult a noble? That… terrified her.

"Hold on, hold on, I don't have any titles? Well actually I guess it would be King of the NEETs but that's a shitty title, and I sure don't hold anything important?" Subaru tried racking his brain for an answer, though came up… blank.

"It was dangerous to have informed you when I discovered it, and it was more by chance than anything else. Though, I'll inform you fully when we meet with Roswaal sama."

Subaru just went silent, a now perplexed face on himself, though nowhere near as frigid as Ram's. And Emilia was simply confused, and with that.. the ride went silent for a while.

At least, until the Mansion itself came into view, apparently it was uphill from the village itself along a track spanning about two kilometers. The thing was giant, and Subaru just took it all in as best he could. It looked like one of those vacation hotels advertised on TV, like for the Bahamas and such.

It was easy to tell the size was larger than it seemed. Hundreds of windows on every wing of the building, while the 'wings' spanned off to the side and slightly forward as well. It may not be as artistically unique or complex in design as some mansions and castles in old Europe, it was rather expansive and unique for this world… perhaps the only other remarkable piece of architecture he's seen was the distant castle at the capital.

"This place is huge." He could only say, simply looking at it from behind the wall of trees.

"It really is, though it's most striking feature is… well, the lack of residents." Emilia said. "It's only the four of us there at the moment…"

That was interesting. "Four… you, the Roswaal guy, Ram, and…?" He was having a hard time believing that.

"Rem. My sister, we're the maids of this mansion." Ram answers more plainly, trying at least to not disrespect the man further… though, she may resent him for his actions a little while ago.

"Two people take care of all that? Really?" All he got was nods form both the girls to either side of him. 'Jeez…'

It wasn't long for them to get to the perimeter, as they passed through a gate connected to a grand fence, the yard inside was more of a well kept field… you could easily play a full scale football game here. Really anything, actually. And only two people tended to it all? Jesus.

As they pulled up, Subaru could see another girl wearing a maid outfit standing by the door. She was almost a mirror reflection of Ram, except her hair and eye color is blue. She looked surprised, likely due to Reinhard being present.

Subaru was quick to unboard, doing a cartwheel and then stretched a bit, even if his muscles felt fine, he knew they must be a bit strained from sitting for all that time. Rem eyed him with curiosity. And even though it was hidden, animosity.

"So you're twins? Ram said sister, I wasn't expecting a color changing mirror. Nice to meet you though, Rem, my name's Natsuki Subaru! And I'm at your service!" He says in a rather rambunctious manner, shooting the blue haired maid a thumbs up. She lightly giggled at his odd yet funny behavior, and saw him as more of a.. well, clown.

She turned her attention to Emilia. "You had a nice trip, Emilia sama?" She asked, and the girl nodded.

"Yes, err no… well, it's a bit complicated. Subaru here saved me back at the capital, if he hadn't brought Reinhard… I don't want to think what would have happened, but I'm very grateful to him." She said.

It wasn't something the maid expected, so the man, Subaru, saved Emilia? And Emilia tends not to lie, if she does she usually does it in a way that would essentially tell you that it's a lie. Too much of an open book to lie, really.

* * *

The lobby captivated Subaru instantly. It was… grand. Giant, spacious, pearl white paint and gold as well, which he thought was actual real gold paint, and it probably was considering back in this age… artificial paint colors of that variety was rather hard to create.

Looking at an object set on a display case, or rather a kind of high table that would more look like a small dresser, he was just in intrigued by everything he saw, even the magic lights hanging from the ceiling. A magic chandelier.

"You know, I thought stuff like this only exists for over the top places like the Taj Mahal, or the Palace of Versailles… it's just incredible!" he said rather excitedly yet quietly, still looking at the trinkets all over the place. And this room was just an entrance, there was a grand staircase like the one off the Titanic up to the second floor, it was all the neat parts of movie locations all mashed into one, it seemed.

Reinhard and Emilia were there with him, Reinhard simply watching and Emilia standing right next to him, explaining what certain things do… it was a warm atmosphere.

But, Emilia had to go… likely get ready, considering she's not changed since yesterday. "Oh! Subaru, try not to wander too far, you might find Beatrice, and she's not very friendly!" She warns as she's at the second floor, looking down at the two.

"I can promise you that I'm probably going to do the exact opposite of what you asked, Emilia tan!" He says back.

"Thank y- huh? Reinhard, please keep an eye on him? He could end up finding her…" she says, and gets a wave in response. Alas, it was already too late. Subaru had already opened a door, heading into a hallway. Reinhard quickly followed after.

Yet as soon as he got to the hallway, Subaru entered another door… And when it closed, a small burst of Mana suddenly came from the door.. and in mild panic, he went to open it, to see that nobody was there.

* * *

The smell of dust and paper was what first made an impression on him, and the appearance of a library before him solidified that. Rows upon rows of books stacked neatly on bookshelves everywhere, a second story filled as well, this was definitely not supposed to be here. No library would just be right there, no way in hell.

"Where the hell am I now?" he says, walking further into the library. At least he wanted to get closer to the other being in there, a young girl with twin drills for hair. She definitely looked to be either the sweetest, kindest most innocent girl in the world, or a massive sourpants.

"You, stop." She says, and he does so. He looked at her with even more interest, but his face simply screamed his question. 'where the hell am I?'

"Do you have any idea what you're doing? You're ruining the library's sanctity with your abhorrent stench, I suppose." She says, walking right up to him. For some odd reason she touched his leg, and a light tingling sensation went through Subaru… like as if he was slightly electrocuted just then.

"Abhorrent smell? I mean, (sniffs self) Aah, yeah, I do smell bad at the moment, but I went through a lot yesterday, and I take showers every day too, so…" but, her ever more so annoyed and impatient looking face stared daggers into him.

"You're either incredibly dense, or actually don't know what i'm talking about… do you know what you smell like, I wonder?" she asked, still looking at him with mild disgust.

"I can attest to you right now, that I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about." He says. She sighs deeply, shaking her head as she returns to her… stool of a chair.

"You've had quite a bit of bad luck in the past, yes?" She asked him. He could only…

"Ever since I got here, this place… Lugunica, I've had nothing but bad luck. The luckiest thing I had was Reinhard, and that was just because of… okay yeah, I've had nothing but bad luck." He agreed.

"Your scent is largely connected to that, actually." She says. "The Witch is rather attracted to you, I suppose. Yet, you're not one of those lunatics, which does bother Betty to no end, in fact…" she looks at him oddly, like she was examining a corpse.

"Eeh… I'll take it as you're Betty, and I smell like the witch. Eeh… I think her name was Satella?" He asked her.

"Yes, my name is Betty, Beatrice… Either of those work, and as for the witch… yes, that is her name. You reek horridly of it, it's truly a wonder how that red head outside put up with it. He is the Sword Saint, correct?" She at least answered his question.

"Reinhard? Sword Saint, bingo. And what do you mean? He can smell it too? What aah… who all can smell it?" He asked her, though she did seemed to sigh at his question. Although she wasn't exactly bothered, she was annoyed… slightly.

"Not many can actually smell it, the majority of great spirits and those with certain divine protections that are able to even detect such a typically minute thing. Most animals can sense it, I suppose. But for you… it would be unpleasant even if I could not smell, I suppose."

Well, that was good, at least. "Now that that is out of the way… ahm, what are you doing in a library all by yourself? It doesn't really suit your appearance."

The reaction was rather shallow at first, then moved to mild… her face was now rather angry looking. "You insult Betty's age, in fact? Have you no understanding of great spirits, human?" She says in a low tone, glaring at him.

"Woa woa, so you're a… I suppose your eyes don't seem to be human, but why do you look like a kid?" Asking a few too many questions relating to her age, she put up her hand.

"You're asking far too many questions, human. Leave, before I blast you out of here, I suppose…" how she seemed to be throwing an empty threat was rather interesting, the girl was a great spirits after all… like Puck, and he can do some serious damage.

"Alright, alright, but do you mind if I do one thing first?" The look she gave him was rather annoyed, almost skeptical, and somewhat tired. He took that as a 'yes'

Of course, she wasn't expecting what happened next. She was figuring he'd want a book or something, though she was terribly wrong.

In the back of Subaru's head, well everywhere in his head, this was a bad, oh so bad idea. But no matter what his brain thinks, it cannot overcome this urge, this humor building up within him. This girl, she has a hairstyle that much defies the laws of physics, and he truly did want to right those laws in this land…

"Tennōheika Banzai!" Moving as quickly as he could while shouting what he believed would be his last words, the surprised loli was taken aback by his advance, and her eyes shot open wide as they physically could as he gripped her majestic golden drills, and yanked with enough might to straighten them out, too fast for her glowing hand to eliminate the threat…

As her hand made contact with him his entire body engulfed into pain, straight hot, molted pain all over, and down he went with the loli's ruined drills in hand… and when he lost his grip, a metallic sound reverberated throughout the room, as if an old metal tank was hit with a small metal pellet of some sort, and..

Her drills we're back in shape, albeit vibrating so violently that when she tried to stop them, she her to her hands with mere vibration. She was angry, teary eyed, and glared at the smiling unconscious man with disdain.

She hated him, she thought. She absolutely did, but the desire to kill what was in front of her faded rather quickly. Though, that was likely due to the Sword Saint narrowing down the options to her Gate Crossing…

And as soon as she thought about it, he showed up through that door. He looked concerned, and eyes the boy on the ground, rushed over to his side. "He's rather annoying, you know. He defiled my sanctity, and forced my hand. I merely took his Mana, In fact." She says, much to the somewhat pained relief of Reinhard.

He picks up the unconscious one and slings him over his shoulder, and goes to leave… "Beatrice." He stops. "I had a fair bit of trouble finding this place. In that time… I've received a bit of a cheat for getting here… a divine protection that detects Gate Crossing." He said to her, and she shuddered…. Now the red head could easily find her, perhaps even force the connection to somewhere near himself.

He started to leave, with a hand in the air as if waving to the girl. "I do suggest coming out for a bit, either for fresh air or to see Puck, I recall that Emilia may have mentioned it?" He questioned himself, but the door closed as he finished.

While Beatrice took hostility towards his words, she was quick to disregard the 'meaningless' part for the more favorable one. "Bubby's here?" Of course she should have known it already, he followed the white haired girl everywhere. "They're idiots, I suppose…"

* * *

The time that passed between being knocked out and waking was extremely short, the loli, Beatrice, had zapped him pretty good… but apparently focused on 'pain' not 'longevity' in her strike. At least it was worth it, and now he felt as though he was laying on a cloud in heaven…

And his body not only felt like it was in heaven, he also had the feeling of adrenaline coursing through his veins. Essentially, he shot out if bed in such a way that shouldn't be humanly possible.

And his environment was different. "You're finally awake, Subaru sama." Reinhard said from his chair nearby, looking to the other who was in a fighting position on the floor now.

His eyes however drifted around the room, if you discounted the library, everything about this place was ludicrously over the top. He was, as of a moment ago, sleeping on a king sized bed that felt like heaven. Now he's standing on a great rug that was a bit bigger than the bed, a kind of comfort setting… well, the entire room just screamed 'high class' in you face.

Yet, looking to himself, he was startled. "I'm not gonna ask who changed me, but where're my clothes?" he asked the knight, and he simply gestured to another chair closer to the door. "Freshly washed and dried, however there are some other on hand already in this dresser." He said, patting the dresser right next to him. Of course he wouldn't elaborate about how he chose the clothes in there since they would actually fit Subaru's physique. And no, he didn't have to measure the man to know what fits him. He's the sword Saint, he just knows!

And within a few minutes of Reinhard waiting outside for him to change, Subaru came out wearing… his tracksuit. "Those other clothes are way nicer than mine, but I'd rather not partake in things I wasn't granted access to by aah.. Roswaal?" He said to the redhead, who nodded in response.

"Where is Roswaal, anyways?" he further said, rather asked, and the knight pondered it for a second.

"I suppose he would be in his office right now, he arrived around fifteen minutes ago… so if we go there now, he should already be prepared for the meeting." He said. Well, that was good.

He decided to follow the courteous and rather friendly knight hall and up two flights of stairs, seems that Roswaal's office was the entirety of the third floor main wing, on the entrance side. Rather typical, really.

At the door Emilia was waiting for them, seemingly wearing a new set of clothes that were the exact same as her last ones, they were probably just cleaned or they are a mirror pair… either way, she was ready.

Though the waiting ensued, Subaru being rather quiet with his cheeks lightly tinted pink, though unnoticeable to most it was nervousness and the fact that Emilia was literally half a foot from him, looking _at_ him. Reinhard was as passive as ever.

Yet before any of them decided to speak, the door opened to Ram carrying out some old formalwear, she acknowledged them and said for them to enter, and headed away.

The office was more or less the same as a bedroom, however was angled awkwardly… the two wings actually protruded inwards on this top room oddly enough, something that wasn't true of the floors below, so it was almost like a cone, and there were quite a lot more… trinkets everywhere.

Two chairs facing towards the window and one large one facing towards them at a table, it was quite the office. And standing shortly ahead of them, a man wearing what could only be described as a Jester's outfit, was smiling rather broadly at them.

"Welcome, Emilia sama. The esteemed Natsuki Subaru, and Reinhard-kun~ it's nice to have you~ here today." He says, dragging out a few words here and there, though he was rather fluent otherwise.

This guy really got to Subaru. Not only was he not what Subarus had expected, he was the personification of the opposite of 'Margrave' in the sense that, he was likely the most eccentric person Subaru has ever met, and ever will meet.

With a quick introduction the man gestured to the chairs, allowing Subaru and Emilia to sit down, and Reinhard hovered over Subaru's shoulder as things settled down.

"Reinhard kun~ I understand that you've requested a meeting~ between the four of us?" The jester, err _Margrave_ said, peering rather interestedly at the Astrea before him.

And the Astrea presented an insignia, much like Emilia's, however… it was not hers. This was one that had no owner yet. And he was holding it in his hands. All of them looked at him and the object with great interest, and followed as it was set onto Subaru's hand that was suddenly open for some reason that definitely had nothing to do with Reinhard…

It sparked to life. The little stone, the thing that was most likely a Ruby, started glowing with a calming hue. How red can be calming was beyond Subaru, but it was. And it was glowing in his hand.

"What?!" Roswaal suddenly burst out of his seemingly solid appearance, surprise written all over the Jester's face.

"What? So…" Emilia too, she also was amazed. She had no idea that Subaru was…

"This is absolute proof, that Subaru sama is the final candidate to be the 42nd ruler of Lugunica." He says, finally filling in Subaru on what this meant. The other two had already figured it out… but, he just said what he thought he said, right?

"So I'm a candidate to be the King of Lugunica?" He says to himself, overcome with the news of such gravity. Maybe this was why he was brought here? He still wasn't sure, but now, he could be a king?

"Why didn't I realize it… yesterday, when you handed my insignia back to me, it blew then as well…" Emilia muttered that, probably feeling a bit dumb that she hadn't noticed it.

With about a minute passing by, it seemed composure had been regained for the people here. "Is it your desire to stay here, Natsuki sama?" Roswaal asked, and.. well, it was.

"If it's fine with you, yes." He replied. Now, here's where it get a bit strange, as …

"While I would not wish to disrespect your wishes as you're my superior, yours residence here, as a candidate, would conflict with Emilia sama's own candidacy. It would be very contradictory to allow you to stay here, as an opposing faction."

Logic was certainly simply to grasp with this explanation, it would be political suicide to allow two opposing factions to stay under the same roof in a race. It went rather quiet, and even Emilia seemed downed by this… as this was actually true, and she could not counter it.

"Courtship is an option." Reinhard broke the silence with this, much to the surprise of the candidates and the amusement of Roswaal. Courtship? As Subaru knows it, _dating?_

Of course his line of thought was exploding with excitement and joy over this option, as he adored this woman, there was also that doubt edging at the back of his mind that, 'it'd never happen. And if it did, it's a dream.'

Though he ignored it, and turned to the girl with as blank a face as he could muster… one slightly reddened, at least he wasn't a beet.

Though when she locked eyes with his, a fair bit of information was relayed to one another. To her, she could not see any ill intent or hatred, not even disgust. He was… neutral, if not happy with her.

And as for herself, after realizing this, her staring eyes softened a bit, going from tense to relaxed in an instant. And seeing this, Subaru was praying it was true.

"I suppose we could give it a try?" Subaru cautiously said after a while, he was sure now that she would agree. But saying that, he was dreading a 'no' from her, but still… he doubted that.

"Really? We can?" She asked him genuinely, wishing to trust his words as she did the day before…

Subaru was starstruck. It was happening, it absolutely was. He was quick to nod to her question, much to the amusement of the jester. He could see the man smiling in a way that could only be… well, in this moment, he looked _very_ punchable.

The girl was beaming, she'd never done this before… well, the only person who talks to her on a daily basis is Puck, and a little bit Roswaal. The maids were generally quiet… only offering advice if she was distressed.

But Subaru? He seemed nice and genuinely… well, even if she can't quite understand it, she knows at least that he likes her a fair amount. And she liked him, though nowhere near in the same regard… she would have to learn quite a bit about relationships in order for this kind of thing to work.

She thought it was worth it, considering all of this… not even over the Royal Selection, if this was an option excluding that, she may have taken it as well. Because… so far, Subaru treated her just as another person, not a _half elf._

But most importantly, it would only be testing the waters. If it doesn't work out, then Subaru would likely end up going to the Astrea mansion… and doing whatever he will do there instead. He had nothing to lose here, no really.

"Then… if it's settled on courtship, do we have any more to discuss?" Roswaal turned his attention to Reinhard, at least in a way that didn't disrespect the candidates… they were mostly too engaged in a contained staring contest to notice.

"That… actually, quite a bit. It would seem that Subaru sama cannot-"

"I can't read." He cuts in on his knight, at least he could hear that. Though not being able to read was uncommon for a boy his age, it wasn't very uncommon either. And with Reinhard, learning to read won't be much of an issue… what with his interesting ability to seemingly gain divine protections out of thin air.

"Not an issue, we have plenty of materials here regarding that." Roswaal said. "Though reading isn't the issue, is it?" Of course he caught on.

"No. Subaru, are you able to use magic?" The knight asked him, though just received a shaking head in response.

"Odd, his gate is taking in Mana as we speak… hmm, I suppose that is a problem. Left unsolved, that would be fatal." Roswaal added, taking notice of something invisible to Submit aru entirely. "And with your shattered gate, I suppose you'd need the held of a master?"

A Curt nod later, and the Jester simmered down in thought. "I would help whenever I have the time to do so, though that time… is rather hard to find. You could possibly enlist the aid of the great spirit, or Lady Beatrice in the library." Roswaal suggested, holding out six small orbs of magic.. one for each 'element' plus one black and one white.

Silently admiring the small lights, Subaru was thinking on who to take…. "I guess I'll call out that favor from Puck… though, what about the library? There's tons of magic books in there, isn't there?"

"Thousands, however that would reside on Lady Beatrice's willingness to have company." He replied rather quickly.

"Yeah, she's very antisocial. But, I think I made the perfect impression on that girl, that it'll be no issue!

With this, Reinhard was a bit… well, he almost wanted to laugh. Subaru was certainly indifferent in his humor, even if it ended up with himself getting hurt. And of course, messing with a great spirits usually has grave consequences… yet, he felt that this would not be the case.

From here on, the meeting delved into more basic and political spheres, with Reinhard promising aid here or there for Subaru. It was almost ridiculous the entire list of things that Reinhard would do, was it within human gasp to do so? Well, he is Reinhard, so it likely was… within his own abilities. Rem would be jealous…

* * *

Around an hour later, the meeting was ended and the group made their way to the dining room. The entire spectacle was crazy, Subaru thought, yet it was real. Him and Emilia would be courting, which hopefully - to the fullest of his own abilities, he would be able to successfully woo the girl. The girl… who wanted to tell him a few things after breakfast. Alone.

As they enter the room, they see a rather enraptured Beatrice playing with Puck, and Rem was putting out dining ware. Ram was likely keeping food warm, as the meeting… it went a little past schedule.

"S-subaru?" Emilia asked him, and he turned his head to her. She looked rather uncertain, or nervous, and she pointed lightly to the table. "Should…. Should you… uhm.." she was, undoubtedly, worried about the seating arrangement.

"Eh? Oh, don't worry, just sit where you normally do and I'll be next to you. Can't be leaving you alone after my promise, my heart couldn't allow it!" Though his words were quiet and passionate as well, and it did warm her slightly knowing that he was being honest with her, it still was bothering that it was plain to tell that… aside from Puck, she rarely had company.

"Thank you, Subaru." She said back, a bit of happiness washing over her. With confidence not usually accompanying her, even if she did this every day, she took her seat with a person sitting beside her that was not Roswaal himself…

And this interaction between them, to the maids and Puck looked… "What happened in that meeting? I demand to know this instant." Puck was, within a half second, at Subaru's face. Or throat, if you counted his entire face as his throat. He was a great spirits and Subaru has zero magic ability, so he might as well be prepared to slice the boy's throat.

"Ack! N-nothing worth killing me over! Well… maybe a beating or two, but not killing me!" Subaru was quick to retort, though this only made Puck shudder. And stealing a glance at Emilia, the spirit shuddered more… she looked rather embarrassed over this ordeal.

And it was here that Ram entered the fray with food on a hand cart, which she slowed to a stop at feeling the tense, and cold, atmosphere. "Well…" Reinhard began, snapping his fingers to catch the spirit's attention.

"It's been revealed that Subaru sama is the final candidate for the throne." Reinhard started, which startled the four people that weren't in the meeting with them. "And it was decided that… He and Emilia, would court."

Caution was rather high, telling Emilia's 'father' that she would be courting this boy, Subaru, was a rather dangerous mine to walk past. "Is that so?" He asked the boy himself, as he refused to shrink any further into his chair.

"Yes." He answered, looking to the spirit releasing immense amounts of pressure just a foot away from him.

He seemed to sigh, and in an instant, the pressure was gone. "If it were anybody else, I'd likely have killed them by now. Subaru, if you're going to do this, then… mark my words, if you take advantage of Lia… _you'll get the same treatment_." the threat was clear as day, though Subaru wouldn't mind it at all.

"Of course, I respect Emilia tan to the ends, no, beyond the ends of the Earth! I'd never do such a thing to her!" Though boisterous and quick to state, it was entirely truthful. The spirit nodded with approval, and hovered on back to Beatrice.

"I see… you're less cautious of him than you still are towards me…" Roswaal said in a somewhat hurt voice, however that was possible was beyond the spirit.

"Of course." He says, "Your mind is dark and clouded, his is bright and clear. Of course I'd trust him more than you." He said, not in a hurry to way but just matter of factly. The Margrave drooped for a minute, though soon recovered from the 'damage' he had received.

Though, conversation ensued soon after as they enjoyed their breakfast, with Subaru leading in on how it's the best food he's ever had, praising the cook, who Roswaal described with a 'despite her appearance' which related to her being a demihuman, an Oni, as Reinhard had said before.

"Hold on, Roswaal, despite her appearance? That doesn't sound nice." He was quick to say, taking offense for the girl who cooked his meal. "I mean, does appearance or lineage have anything to do with the ability to cook food?"

While this was seemingly angry, it was mostly a question out of concern. It surprised the maids and it was certainly a warm thing for Emilia, if he really was the 'I don't care what you are, I care who you are' kind of person.

'If he's a cultist, he sure is going about this in a strange way…' Rem thought, peering into the man's eyes. Yet as she saw them, he was not harboring any kind of hostility, and his piercing gaze and seemingly angry face was due to inherited traits. He likely wasn't angry at all. 'Even if he is… I can't do anything, he's too important… and Reinhard is protecting him. I should just ask him…' any hostility she had prior was gone, and if he tried something… only then would she retaliate.

"Most people hold hostile views towards demihumans, Subaru sama. Roswaal was speaking this way due to not knowing your opinion on them." Reinhard butted in, saving the Margrave.

It was left with that, mostly fading away as breakfast went on. It was a well rounded talk - shedding light on the other people at the table, with Reinhard explaining the Royal family and dragon covenant in better detail that Roswaal could have. It was a good way to pass the time, though nearing the end of breakfast…

Subaru managed to snag Puck away from Beatrice… her whining afterwards was self explanatory, Subaru just stole her 'brother' of sorts from her and was doing over him happily, she must retake what is hers… especially since he promised to spend the day with her, it was imperative that she get the cat back.

"Banzai, I suppose!" Hearing such words, Subaru turned to the one who uttered them… She had no idea what they meant, but still, it was effective. A piece of potato slathered in sauce was flying towards him, with Beatrice's fork standing upright as it had just been fired.

She initiated war.

"Ack! Surprise attack! Nobody expects the Loli's Inquisition!" Subaru had his face impacted with the artillery barrage, and was quick to return the favor. His Japanese pride wouldn't allow this crime go unpunished!

"Yaaa!" She squealed, the piece of meat hit her forehead dead center, the drums of war were beating hard, the overall atmosphere suddenly took a turn for the heated exchange of food…

She in turn loads a heap of wet, falling apart food onto her fork and launched it, as it was now apparent that the maids would have to clean this. Roswaal and Reinhard were merely observing, and Emilia's eyes were widening as she saw the fragmenting projectile coming into to hit her as well.

It was a mess.

The main clump all hit Subaru fairly evenly, though it splattered all over Emilia's face, hair and clothes… she looked to Subaru for aid, though he was already loading another pile of food onto his fork. He was not giving up.

And so she followed suit. Puck looked betrayed, the cat looking at her with eyes of surprise as she threw her own food at the loli, and having fun while doing it. She giggled, not minding the food on her, and continued.

This was unacceptable. Puck slinked on over to the other side of the table to Beatrice and pulled Roswaal's plate over, using the amused Margave's food as his weapon, and flung it as well. Seeing a small floating cat weiling a fork was a bit… well, imagine a cat the size of your fist, that is mostly fur, weilding a fork. Is that not insane?

Well, the food fight was long and we'll faught. Reinhard was musing the thought that, perhaps Beatrice's relationship with Subaru may be mended with this… As, of course, an outburst like this was rather… rare, for spirit like herself.

* * *

After the spectacle, it was more than obvious that the participants needed a bath. At least, three of them did. Puck merely shined, with him being a natural Great Spirit, he could change his form and such at will, or even fade into nonexistence as he retreats to Emilia's crystal.

For Beatrice, Subaru learned that she's an 'artificial' spirit, made by man, though the 'who' that made her is… vague. Somebody powerful from long ago that nobody knows. Or that's what Roswaal had said.

Emilia led Subaru to the bathing area, smiles on their faces as their first meal shared together was quite fun. it went without saying, the atmosphere was too rich for that.

Inside the room, there was but a single, giant tub. A swimming pool, essentially, resided here. And it was already filled with hot, soapy water.

"Erm… there's only one…" Subaru muttered, looking to see that there were absolutely no other places.

Not going over the whole debacle of how to two properly got into this tub without seeing each other, or how awkward and red faced the two were during the whole ordeal, they sat at opposite ends rather comfortably. Let's just say that an ice wall or two may have played an important role in.. protecting their sanity.

"You wanted to talk with me?" He opened, having remembered her request from earlier. She was quick to nod, though she seemed shy once again.

"It's… really personal, erm… you won't tell anyone else, will you?" She looked to him rather carefully, trust heavy in her eyes. She wanted to sort this out, her 'age' situation, since… she really isn't what she appears to be.

"Not unless you explicitly tell me so, nothing's gonna leave this room. Have… Ahh, have at it." He responded as sincerely as possible. She visibly sighed in relief, though still it was worrying.

"Alright… ah, I'm not sure if this'll affect your ideas towards me.. I'm a bit worried." She says mostly to herself, but then breathes in deeply and exhales… more prepared.

"You see… when I was seven… or maybe eight, I was caught in an event that… well, have you heard of the Elior Forest? It's within Roswaal's domain…" she say, though he raised a hand.

"Never heard of that, let alone other history. I hardly even understand the crisis this nation is in." He says, so… well it's be easier to have Reinhard explain Elior to him.

"A little over a hundred years ago, the forest was frozen over, everyone and everything inside was encased in a kind of ice that cannot simply melt… but Puck managed to unfreeze me seven years ago. He said it took almost all of his power to do so…"

Putting two and two together, "So you're older than you look, and look older than you are?" More specifically it would be 114-115, 18-19, and 14-15. He did the calculations, though… 'so she's both younger than me, and also way older. She'll like a… nah, not a reverse loli, but close.'

"I actually thought something was off about that, but it's perfectly fine. So what if you're a little younger, you're way more mature than I'll ever be!" Subaru was actually glad it wasn't something serious, however… this also meant that he'd have to be at least a little careful, try to let her do things at her own pace. Of course he'd help, but either way… no, he'd be throwing her kind remarks and flirting all the way, no doubt about that, but pushing limits for a fourteen or fifteen year old girl in the mental department won't end well. In fact, it would end in trauma.

She was happy. It would work. "Thank you, Subaru…"

"Eh? But that just means it'll be easier to embarrass my cute to be wife even more!" He declared, striking a pose in the deep water. If he thought about it, if you looked, it would remind you of a certain movie based in the future, after the fall on mankind… just add a golden object to his striked out hand, and it would be _very_ memorable.

She was, although embarrassed by that, very happy that he proclaimed such a thing. She let out a giggle, much to his pleasure. This was the day that Natsuki Subaru… turns his life around.

* * *

Getting out of the bath was as much of a debacle as getting in, yet as they exited they encountered a source looking Beatrice, food still on her. We should just say that, a few obscene insults later, and she was happily - no, sourly enjoying her soak in the tub.

So Subaru was now in his room, dried, dressed, wearing something new. And while it may just be one of those outfits Reinhard already 'fitted' to him, it was a bland white one. One could almost say it was too bland, a white shirt of average thickness and white pants that were also average in almost every way possible. At least they were comfortable.

He kicked his legs as he sat at the edge of his bed, looking over a fine piece of paper that Reinhard had just handed him. It was a schedule, not that he could read it specifically, though with an explanation form Reinhard, he wrote down what each was in Japanese.

It was a very… busy schedule. And it essentially takes up all days with schooling magic, writing, history, swordsmanship, everything really.

Swordsmanship and magic; alternating times: 7:30AM - 10:30AM, and 11:30AM - 2:30PM.

And from 4:00PM - 8:00PM was studying various subjects, starting with writing, and history.

As it goes on, the less magic and swordsmanship training needed the more he would be learning things from Reinhard, which was more of a grace time, since Reinhard doesn't need to have him be anywhere in particular to only spew random facts around. Only for the writing bit, actually.

"It's like an all day school for adults." Subaru remarked, looking to his knight. He was still slightly smiling, or rather grinning, to the former. "If you ever need time off from this, or it needs to be adjusted, I'm more than happy to accommodate." He replied.

Well, at least he was.

* * *

The day was young, the sun still high, and Subaru wanted to 'pester' his to-be wife. Of course this was not that hard to do, just find her and hang around. It wouldn't take long for his imagination to think of something, especially due to the revelation of her 'three ages' of reality.

Starting with finding her at the gazebo outside, Subaru went on to endlessly throw compliments and praise at her for every little thing possible. He even verbally made a list of what make her his favorite person ever. This was all of course played into an 'I love you' at the end, making the poor girl blush madly. Even if it was mostly embarrassment, knowing that he actually meant that brought a lot of warmth to her heart.

Alas his fun was soon coming to an end, even as he showed her 'calisthenics' an exercise routine he knows from his world, which did seem terribly… odd, unsightly, _embarrassing,_ to perform. Though she followed through with it as he guided her by the hand, at least he was fearless in doing so… and if this was all a rush to get her embarrassed in front of the approaching maids, it certainly was a good one.

"Sister, Sister, it appears that Emilia sama is being force to perform obscene acts for him."

"Rem, Rem, it appears that Emilia sama is being subjugated to this man's perverted fantasies."

The two maids say as they approach, mostly confiding in each other, yet making sure that the two heard them.

"What?! Calisthenics is nothing more than a simple exercise routine, even if it were not so, I'd never do something to put myself into Puck's crosshairs!" Subaru quickly recoiled over to the two, who were lightly snickering as they stood there.

"It's more odd than scandalous, but… I guess it is fun?" Emilia said, looking to the three in a normal manner. Not too bothered by the whole ordeal afterwards, it did seem to not post anything truly strange about it. 'calisthenics' are a legitimate exercise method, she found.

"Alright, Subaru sama. Emilia sama. Lunch is ready, please come inside." Ram informed them, and so they went.

* * *

The rest of the day was a breeze… a breeze that was filled with many memorable events. Taking Emilia by the hand into the woods with Reinhard, him teaching them things atop a hill with his insane divine protections, constant berating his to-be wife with affection that she rarely ever received before, in an attempt to 'compensate for the century lost to ice' as he said it was.

Things were both fast and slow. It was like the day had disappeared, went by in a flash, and he learned so much just today from Reinhard's teachings, yet…. There seemed to be so much more to do, to say, that there was quite a lot more that should have been done.

And at the end of the day… he was having quite a bit of trouble getting to sleep. He felt fine, his mind was at ease, but he just couldn't get to sleep. Maybe it was excitement? It erred him into sitting at the edge of the bed, and look out to the night sky. A sky filled with foreign stars… the stars he grew up with…

*Knock knock* suddenly came from the door, it was light knocking. "Subaru sama? It's Rem. Do you mind if I come in?" The maid asked, quietly enough that he hardly heard her.

"Sure, come in." He said, though he didn't stop staring at the distant stars in the sky.

She came into to see him looking distant, clearly thinking about something. "Subaru sama? Sorry to intrude… erm, I… I did have something I wanted to know about…" she trails off, seeming shy herself.

"Aah… I'll answer to the best of my abilities, but I can't say the answer is gonna be well worded." He said, finally turning to the maid. She was surprised quite a bit, seeing his face be lax like it is right now… if she wasn't here for a reason, seeing him in this light would have made her swoon.

"Are… I… are you an ummm.. a…" she was at a loss for words. But, he shook his head.

"Reinhard explained to me something rather important earlier today… I smell like a certain somebody according to Beatrice, himself, and you, right? I'm certain I know why, though… it's not that I've lived near the sealing site, or that I'm apart of some cult I only found out exists earlier today, but rather… it's a kind of course, and a blessing? I'm not sure exactly how to explain it, but why I smell like her, is because she somehow moved me from one place to another, and I ended up in Lugunica because of it."

She was quiet. His explanation was truthful, she could tell, there was no reason to push further into it for the reason she was here to begin with. "She… moved you?" She elected to pursue her curiosity instead.

"Yea.. I was in Japan, another nation…. An island nation, though it's far away… you probably wouldn't believe me if I said it was on another world, but I got plucked away as I left a convenience store. And then I ended up looking at a square in the capital. It's quite concerning, actually." He explained.

She was again quiet. But, she nodded. "I believe you. I may not understand it myself… but you've given enough evidence as it is. Your clothes were… all the evidence I needed to be sure." She bows to him. "Please excuse my

intrusion, I'll be going… Subaru sama." She then rights herself, and moves to leave…

"Just… call me Subaru."

She could understand it… he was only just today found to be a 'sama' anyways.

"Yes… Subaru Kun." She says, closing the door. He may have smiled to this, yet laying back down on the bed… he realized his reason for being anxious.

You can't quite say sorry to your parents if they're a world away.

* * *

 **I don't quite like the single line character speech too much, it's a bit screwy with my quirks in writing. So, hello! New chapter 1, not that much changed but it's new anyways. And still only 9K words!**

 **If you cannot tell, the story is being fully updated, and as soon as that's done, chapter 6 will be worked on. Haaaa…. It's tiring, you know?**

 **Anyways, see you guys next chapter!**

* * *

End Of Chapter Discussions

MNR: "Back from the dead, king? You alive?"

King: "yeah, finally. You… I really thought you were dead."

Knight: "I _actually am_ dead. And due to lacking a computer, MNR can't send me to Roger without going insane, apparently."

Red: "About fucking time. Work on chapter 6 already, ReviewR ain't got a new chapter out in fooorreeeeeevveeerr."

MNR: "Have you heard of real life complications? It sucks here."

Red: *Grumbles* "Fine."

ReviewR: "Heya man, I was worried you weren't coming back."

MNR: "No worries, it's just… slow. Also - Thanks for the art and feedback!"

MNR: "As for you, readers, I'll see you in… hopefully, less than a week!"


	2. Chapter 2 old

**Yep, I fucked up. Sorry for not updating, but here it is. Dragon King, Chapter 2. Enjoy.**

Chapter 2, Day 2

Starry night, the cool night breeze slowly blowing leaves by as the girl stood there in the darkness, taking her normal position under the roof of the familiar gazebo, her white skin and dreamy dark purple orbs shining elegantly, enchantedly in the moonlight.

She was very much by herself, perhaps only her and Rem were still awake, one doing some last minute work and then her, enjoying the night while in deep thought.

"I… Am marrying Subaru…" she says to herself, a blush slowly working itself onto her face. "Puck said that… Married couples kiss, but… Kisses…" the thoughts were getting to be too much, and she stopped herself.

"I don't dislike him, I… He doesn't dislike me, and he's a king candidate… but I know it won't work well, I… I don't have… The mentality.. Fitting my body.." she continues, thinking over her own circumstances.

"I don't want to disappoint him or myself, so I Will try my hardest… Ah… I know the first step!" her face goes very red here, and then she goes off to carry out her thoughts in the mansion.

* * *

Morning, the sun was starting to shine through the pristine windows onto the marble floor, reflecting and lighting up the room. A peaceful way to wake up, as Subaru slowly opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling that he's seen a few times now in the past day.

But there was something odd, a warmth, a chilling presence that also brought a flood of butterflies to heart, and a single small collection of long silver hairs resting on his arm was more than enough proof to immediately plunge his heart into overdrive. 'HOW IS THIS HAPPENING?!' he internally screamed as loudly as he could possibly even think.

Emilia was curled up cutely in bed next to him, her sleeping face pointed towards himself with a light blush painted on it, she must have been embarrassed doing this in the night. He blinked a few times to make sure it wasn't his imagination, but her presence there afterwards was proof that it was completely real.

Unsure of what to do, he just laid still for what felt like hours, until only a few minutes later he heard light knocking at the door. "Subaru… Kun? A-are you awake?" he heard Rem lightly ask through the door. 'Oh noo…' he slowly tried to shift around, and soon made it to the edge of the bed without waking Emilia.

Rem waited patiently as she could hear the shuffling, but then smelled something odd… She could smell Emilia behind the door, and suddenly her face flushed red as she imagined what that could mean.

Suddenly the door opened, and there he was, looking about to die with giant beads of stressful sweat forming on his forehead, and quickly exited the room and then sighed heavily in relief. "Ah geez, if I knew she was going to sleep in my room…" he exhaled again, wiping away the sweat with his arm.

"S-subaru kun…. Would ha-have done what?" Rem asked, and he looked to her in slight embarrassment. "Well I went to sleep alone yesterday, then wake up with her next to me in bed. Of course, I was freaking out."

She thought on it a bit, and then relaxed her thoughts. "Right… Emilia sama isn't one to be brash or vulgar…" she said aloud, finally Subaru realized what she was thinking. "Woah there, Rem, that's highly private information!"

She giggled a bit, and he poked her nose. Surprising her, and then she bowed. "Right. Reinhard sama requested that I wake you, so that you may begin swordsmanship training." she said, and behind her was a small pile of white breathable clothes, something fit for training that can be ruined without worry.

"Awesome, thanks Rem!" he says, and then she escorts him to the destination.

* * *

Reinhard was outside, far away from any destructible objects and wearing his usual off duty uniform, and holding two wooden swords. Yes, his training starts today… Would he do well? Probably not.

He had changed into the new clothes back in the mansion, and out here in the morning it was a bit chilly, but not much to worry about. He made it up to a cheerful looking reinhard, and took a sword. Rem stopped where she was, to give the two space.

Some introduction later, that today would be basics, relieved Subaru to no end. "And I thought you were going to just do the 'now that you know what we're doing I won't hold any mercy' esque things and proceed to beat me senseless."

Reinhard lightly chuckled at this. "I wouldn't want to harm his majesty, that would be nothing but treason!" he comments, making Subaru shake his head. "Still, that you call me that bothers me. Just yesterday I find out this royalty business, about being a king candidate, and i'm already on a training regiment. You waste no time in preparation, huh?"

True, or at least as long as Subaru feels like it. "As long as you're fine with the schedules, we can always take breaks or change them based on your mood or feelings, I would not want to overtax you in any way if you want just to take a rest day." he says, making Subaru a bit more at ease.

"Well that's nice, but if I didn't want to train at all, would you be mad?" he questioned, honestly wanting to know the answer. "No, I would simply try to do my best to make you happy and comfortable." he replies, this really unsettled him. "Yep, definitely not doing that." he says.

Rem was wondering what the conversation was headed towards, but could understand that Subaru doesn't want to take advantage of Reinhard's leniency and just do nothing ever. He could do that, but he's not. A good thing, really.

Soon the chat ended, and Reinhard started having Subaru strike at him. He critiqued his strikes, telling him how to better attack, how much harder or softer to swing for each different angle, and then how to defend from each attack as well.

In the twenty minutes she had spare to watch them, Rem could see the Sword Saint's divine protection of Training Mastery taking full effect… Subaru's attacks were already getting relatively good, in a mere twenty minutes, he went from having no real experience to seemingly a day's worth, and no doubt by the end of his three hour training session, he would likely be able to handle himself against a bandit or similar.

* * *

"Uhn… Wh… Where am I?" Emilia began opening her eyes, the light slightly blinding her as she looked around. She could recognize some things, but then it donned on her… She was in Subaru's room, and he was no longer in the bed. "Eeee!" she squealed a bit, realizing what happened.

"Ouhhh… Lia, what's the matter?" Puck sleepily asked, slowly coming into view. "We're in… Subaru's room…" she told him, and then his eyes widened in shock. She could clearly see this, and was quick to explain. "No no! I-I came i-in here yesterday, a-after he was asleep!"

She pretty much shouted at the cat, entirely catching him by surprise. He deliberated what to do as he came closer to her, setting down on her shoulder.

"... Lia…" she looked to him questioningly, wondering what he was going to do. "I trust him enough to know he won't hurt you, but… getting into his bed is… well, he is young, just like you, and that can lead to some bad things…" he trailed off, thinking of what more to say without exposing her mind to more… Adult elements.

"But… Married people sleep in the same bed, d-don't they?" she innocently asked, leading him to sigh. "Well, erh… yes, but that's a bit more… Ah, okay. How about this, move to the room next to his, so it'll be like that, okay? But you can't do it again, not until you…"

She smiled a bit, knowing that he was having trouble trying to protect her. "Okay, I'll do as you say… I just hope Subaru understands as well." she adds, and he mentally prepares for what the future may hold, the… Troubles he'll have to resolve, between the two.

"I may just be getting old.." he says, getting a giggle out of the girl. "You're going to ignore everything I said, I just know it…" he sighs, knowing that this will end badly… For him, at least. So, he just followed the girl and tried to keep her distracted until at least after Subaru's sword and magic training was over.

* * *

As it turns out, she never did get outside to watch him do those things. She got to experience his shenanigans first hand.

At lunch, Rem came and gave him and Reinhard proper breakfast, spending a good part of the hour with them.

Soon after, magic training was to begin. Subaru was already finished with his food at the gazebo, and headed inside to fetch "The drill loli" as he said, saying that "I'll pull her drills if she doesn't come with" just as he ran out of sight of Rem.

She prepared for some kind of smashing or shattering noise to come within the next few minutes.

Inside, he was running down the eastern wing by gut feeling alone, choosing the third floor on gut feeling alone as well. Running, running… Until he ran into a door the just opened in front if him, a thin frail looking arm still on the handle as he runs straight into it and makes a loud clapping sound as he hit the door, and with the momentum, weight and impact the door was overloaded at the hinges, and splintering wood along with a falling sensation followed the pain… then, he was hit with the new pain of hitting the door a second time, but face first on the ground…

Of course, he failed to hear the gasps and small shriek, the light yet heavy weight struggling to get off his back as it was pinned with its hand stuck below him, wedged between the door. "S-Subaru!" he heard it that time, Emilia's crystal voice.

Sure enough he tried getting up, to no avail- somehow he felt vastly heavier than he did a few seconds ago, and could even feel some weight on his lungs. Emilia felt this too, and wondered what it was… And she could now feel herself being pulled towards him just by the weight of gravity alone, it was quite difficult for her to move and even more so for him, as he had her weight on top of him too.

"What… The… Heeeelllll?! If… I… Exhale, I… Feel that… My lungs are…. Going to collapse…." he struggled to say, and she was more or less caught in trying to talk as well.

"You've destroyed my door, and this is your punishment for twenty minutes, I suppose." - That devilish voice, that little brat, drill haired loli's voice rang in his ears, and with what little he could see, her ankles and feet at most, stood triumphantly above both him and Emilia, basking in the glory of what she's just accomplished.

"B-beatrice! W-why are -Hk! Are y-you dis-disto- Hk! Torting gravity?" Emilia managed, and it seemed that Beatrice didn't so much as move. "Because this entertaining payback for dirtying Betty yesterday, I suppose." she even leaned over and waved at Subaru, taunting him. "Damn drill haired loli… I am so pulling your drills when this ends!" he yells through the throat squeezing gravity, honestly sending some chills down the loli's spine.

"E-Even so! Betty does not yield to threats!" she says back, but Subaru could tell it affected her. "That's like saying we don't negotiate with terrorists!" he says back, confusing both of them immensely.

"T-terrorists?" she says the word again, they have this word there as well, but hearing it in speech… Especially in this context, it was very strange. "You're calling yourself a terrorist now, I wonder? You truly are strange, as strange as that one is uninformed, I suppose!" she says, now bringing questions to Subaru's mind.

He started struggling forward, climbing off the door with Emilia finally getting free, the two struggled to their feet at either edge of the doorframe, Emilia stood and watched as he took spacelike slow steps, each one eliciting a loud clap as it reached the floor, he was approaching a stock still Beatrice, as she was shocked that he was attempting to get to her.

She instinctively protected her drills, but then saw a gleam in his eyes that spelled nothing but revenge… Surely, he'd get her drills one way or another.

"Taking a page right out of a one punch man fanfiction I read, the best way to calm a brat! Is! To! -" he started assaulting her sides with his hands as fast as possible, ticking was the last thing she could have imagined he would do, but the instant that he began she lost concentration on the gravity field, and was in pure shock.

"Tickle them into capitulation!" he declared, locking her in one arm so it'd be impossible for her to escape as she was suppressing with all her might the urge to start laughing at the feelings originating from her sides, a truly difficult task… One she was horrified was actually presented to her, she was beyond horrified of the method he was using on her to stop.

Emilia simply watched in amazement as he continued to tickle the poor spirit to the point of exhaustion, she was tolling on the ground looking pained to death as she finally started to break her facade and burst into laughter, then she started wondering what she'd do when this ended.

Reinhard was already heading towards her, wondering what happened to the broken door and the shrieking laughter coming from within the room Emilia was leaning in towards, and peeked in himself.

Presented to him was the same thing Emilia saw, freezing him in astonishment as Beatrice cried for help, for him to stop, that she was sorry, even to the point of saying that he could pull her drills instead, her prideful front was decimated just by relentlessly tickling her into submission.

The sight lasted two or so more minutes until she didn't much resist at all, in fact she seemed to be getting very tired from it, like she was going to pass out from exhaustion. It was then that he stopped, and righted her as she staggered about in daze.

"That's how you make a brat stop being bad." he states, turning around to look at Emilia, but not only sees her but also Reinhard and Rem as well. "Subaru sama, what did I miss?" Reinhard asked right then, making Subaru start laughing himself.

"Long story, but it's not unrelated to the broken door or why Emilia tan has a red face right now." she had been thinking over his way of punishment in seeing Beatrice look submissive and quiet as he started talking with Reinhard, and found that he would probably be great with kids. You can guess she also thought, he would be good with their kids in the future.

"Hk!" she realizes that Reinhard turned to her, and hid her face a bit. He then turned back to Subaru questionly, wondering why he would purposely point out Emilia's expression. "Well, I mean, it makes her even cuter than normal, and it's not against the rules for her to embarrass me too."

"Wh… What?" Emilia asked, opening her eyes normally, looking to Subaru in question. "Well, yeah. I may be a little stupid at times because I am trying to get certain reactions out of people, so…"

She thought on that. "But that's not fair, I don't know what makes you like this!" she says, making him scratch his head a bit. "Ahh… I guess … Ahh.." he was trying to think of something that would work, but then Rem cleared out her throat with an "Ahem."

"Subaru kun, I could be your personal maid." she says almost earnestly, and after the statement sunk in Subaru reeled at her forward statement. "W-w-what did you just o-offer?! That's essentially marriage but perverted!" he starts getting loud and pointing at her in overreaction, his face red from the idea being run through his mind.

"Ooh, I get it!" Emilia happily says, clapping lightly in joy. "It was a joke?! But it sounded legitimate!" he yells, bringing a few giggles from Emilia, and a very neutral Reinhard to display a grin.

At least, these reactions lasted until Rem spoke again. "I-it was a fully earnest offer, Subaru sama." she states, bringing silence to the room. In what was thirty seconds but felt like hours, she could feel the pressure and possible pain of being turned down right here, in front of everyone but her sister and current master.

"Again, a personal maid is essentially marriage, and… Why am I being made to make this decision?!" he asked himself, and Rem shook her head. "Ah, I should rephrase… I meant that I could be both yours and Emilia sama's personal maid, and I can aid Emilia sama in gaining desired reaction from you, ahh.. Not… Not what you first… Assumed."

How she said it, though, was beyond 'unconvincing' as a way to describe it. "Oh… Rem, why offer this when you already serve us as a maid for Roswaal?" Emilia asked, and Rem waa getting even deeper into the hole.

"W-well, Emilia sama…" she started, but then was saved by Reinhard. "Actually, that sounds like a fine idea. Rem is already a highly talented maid, so she would serve as a proper personal maid on visits to the Capital or elsewhere, Subaru sama, Emilia sama." he says, making a good case for her.

'Really, Reinhard? You and I both know that isn't her goal in this!' he mentally says, sounding a little harsh even in his mind. " _Sorry, Subaru sama. I cannot hear what you internally say, but I understand your worries. I will talk with Rem after this, but the end decision is still yours._ "

Reinhard used telepathy to say that to Subaru, and then got a nod in return. "Okay, I accept." he says, causing her face to light up. "I don't know why exactly, but… I accept as well." Emilia says, finalizing the offer.

"Now that you idiots have solved whatever fiasco that is, can we move on to the task that was dumped on me without my consent, I wonder?" she asked from behind Subaru, still looking a bit flustered.

"Oh, and no maid or silly girl in here either." Beatrice raises her arm, slightly pushing the two back with a light bit if invisible magic force. Rem nodded and left promptly, and Emilia was a bit saddened, pouting while begrudgingly leaving the room.

This left just the three of them alone, and one would expect Beatrice to explode on Subaru the second the door closes… But, there still wasn't a door to be closed. The library was locked to the room, and she was figuring out what to do about it.

"Hrr… Redhead, you're the current sword saint, I suppose?" she asked, getting a nod. "Betty dislikes this immensely… Repair the door, and then we can continue, I suppose." she said, going back to her stool.

Subaru wondered if he really could repair such damage to the door, sure he could just recieve some kind of insane builder divine protection to do it, like how he got one to detect the gate crossing yesterday, but fixing the damaged hinges and splintered wood was another story… Or so he thought.

Reinhard already saw the damage, so he just headed out and down the hall, going to do 'something' that would fix the door. "That man is like that blue haired maid, he'll do anything you ask of him, I suppose." Beatrice sighed, shaking her head at everything that happened in the last ten minutes.

"So… You're not mad about what I did?" he asked, but to this she was highly annoyed. "Mad? Me? Yes, Betty is angry with you, I suppose. You treated me like a child, and in front of the silly one and the maid, the redhead doesn't care… But you've hurt Betty's…"

He understands what she means. He hurt her ego, he made her laugh and submit in front of people. It must have really affected her, for her not to be putting up a false reason for it.

He puts a hand on her shoulder, making her look up at him with sad looking eyes. "There's nothing wrong with being like a kid even if you are 400 or whatever, you look like a kid. You act like a kid. You put up a false front to be strong, but… Just be a kid, Beako. It suits you better."

She was looking unsure of what to say. "Betty…" she says. "If what I said hits hard, then think about it. You can always be a kid, I won't stop you from being one. Nobody will. And to be honest, it's funner that way." he says, patting her shoulder and then standing up again.

She was simply silent, looking to the ground while shuffling her feet back and forth. "Betty will… Betty will… Think… About it…" she answers meekly, surprising Subaru a bit.

Though before he could ask or say anything else, footsteps could be heard from near the end of the hall. "Redhead is back, I suppose…" she said, trying to regain a bit of her front, even if it simply was a little of it.

The two watch as Reinhard repaired the door, actually it's quite amazing… Seeing splintered wood be mended and even the cracks slowly dissipating, like as if the damage never even happened.

Though he also had to reset the hinges, being as crooked as they were would do the door no good. Regardless, it took less that five minutes to fix.

"All done." he says, closing the door softly as it signifies the completion of his task. "Redhe- … What's your name, I suppose?" she changed her sentence quite blatantly. "Reinhard, Lady Beatrice." he says, heading over to grab a few books.

"Not much has changed since Reid, I suppose…" she mutters something else, and then opened a book near herself as well.

* * *

They would end up doing it outside, where Beatrice told him that he has an affinity for yin magic. "Yin? Shadow… At least you already told me what that does, else i'd have gotten all excited to only be told it is literally just debuffs."

"Astrea, has the world forgotten the power pertaining to Yin in such short time, I suppose?" Beatrice seemed a bit surprised at his explanation of it being 'debuffs' as he said.

"Sorry, Lady Beatrice. All that we know is the common spells because it is so rare, and reading through a few of these books pertaining to it have… Proved quite the opposite." he was flipping through a few pages in the book he was reading, and called to Subaru. "Try casting Murak."

He scratched his head. "Well I don't know what that does, am I going to explode or something?" he asked this jokingly, but Reinhard looked grave. "No! I would never suggest something that would put you into mortal danger, Subaru sama." "That you had to add the word 'mortal' to that sentence doesn't help!" the that he could only smile half heartedly and scratch his head, making it obvious to Subaru that maybe it was a joke.

"Ugh… Ok, Murak!" he says, and the looked around to see nothing happen at all. "It didn't do anything…" "No, it worked, try jumping, I suppose." He looked to his feet and shrugged, then jumped. "Wh-what the? Low gravity!" he says, shooting up into the air with ease. "This is way better than I thought." he says, slowly floating back down.

"If you're amazed by that, then you truly don't know the limits if magic, I suppose." Beatrice holds out her hand wide, as if expecting a shockwave to explode from it. "El Minya." she says, and forty or so dark purple bolts formed around her.

This even surprised Reinhard. She then dropped her hand, the bolts disappearing from around her. "Consider yourself lucky, Betty has all the past's knowledge of Yin magic, and I will crush your puny mind's expectations, I suppose!" she proudly declares this, looking quite renewed from earlier.

"Well, teach me everything, my master." he says, legitimately to her. "Betty feels this may be different than she expected…" she says mostly to herself, but shakes it off quickly. "Being away from my tea is bothersome, so I shall make this quick…"

* * *

It wasn't quick. From the beginning till the end if the four hour period, Beatrice showed both him and Reinhard various Yin spells, droned on about the extents of what Yin magic is capable of, from shamak, to weight and visual distortion, to minya, to teleportation and even absolute negation, if used properly, it is one of the most versatile kinds of magic, and by far the most powerful when used properly… At least anyone can claim that about any magic, based on the user's ability, but this was a true exception.

"The only thing it can't really do is heal people, is what i'm noticing." Subaru says, near the end of the period. "Unfortunately so, but almost everyone that can use magic at all can use healing magic, you're just better at it if you have water affinity, I suppose."

She was looking quite happy with herself and didn't seem snooty or 'tsundere' at the moment, but surely it would come out again.

"That's good to know, like… huh… Emilia and Rem would know that, then?" he asks her, but this seemed to pull something from her. "Ah… Betty is far more able than either of them in healing magic, In fact…" she sounds a bit sorrowful.

"Okay okay I get it, you want more attention, and you'll show me how in return?" he asks, trying to figure it. "Well, it would help, I suppose…" she waited a bit before realizing something. "Oh, this task is over, I suppose. Bye." she up and turns around, going through a rift without another word at all.

"Lady Beatrice is quite an interesting person." Reinhard comments, as Subaru stares blankly at the spot she left them from. "How can you say that after she just left like that?!" he questioned him in a slightly ragged manner, causing the knight to readjust. "It would be that she enjoyed being out here teaching, and… I think she wants you to bring her food, or maybe she is hoping that will happen."

His annoyed expression went away as he thought on it. "What? To me it seemed she was more than eager to just leave, which she kinda did…" "It's what she was feeling, or I could sense that she was feeling.. And hunger along with hope and some other mixed emotions were swirling, so that's my guess, Subaru sama."

He nodded. "Oh, and I think there is something wrong… There seems to be something causing her great… Depression… I would suggest to help her with that, but I couldn't imagine where to start on that." he adds, making Subaru turn back to him. "Beako, depression? If that's true, she's pretty… Nah, she's terrible at hiding it, I noticed too. I've already set my mission goals at making her less stubborn loli and more 'loli' so adding on a 'remove depression' checkbox isn't too much labor…" he chuckles a bit, making Beatrice into a mission with main objectives.

"Tread lightly." he was told as he left, Reinhard sighing as he looks up to the sky, thinking over the past two days, and his own problems. "Would it be too hopeful for him to help me, as well?"

* * *

Lunch, a little late but still lunch. He found himself in the kitchen with ease, yet he still doesn't know the full layout of the mansion. Ram was apparently prepping something for dinner later that day, and rummaging through drawers she failed to find something she was looking for.

She was unaware of his existence for the longest time even after he had gotten the things he wanted for a sandwich, and even finished eating it as he just observed her having trouble with the lack of spices at hand.

"I guess you'll have to get more soon, huh?" he asks, startling her. She turned around and quickly went a bit rigid, realizing that one of her masters were standing there in front of her. "Y-yes, Subaru sama." she says, still facing towards him.

"Ahh… When do you plan on going?" he asked, surprising her once again, she was expecting him to have her do something. "It looks like my sister and I would be going sometime tomorrow, Subaru sama."

He nods a bit. "Cool, mind if I come with? I mean, I haven't really seen the village besides the bit I saw coming here two days ago." he says, surprising her for a third time. "I… I don't see any issues with that, but would it not interfere with your schedule?" she asked back.

"Reinhard is himself, saying that whatever suits me is better.. Ah, I can just tell him i'll be taking some time for it, he'll probably come with." "Okay, Subaru sama." she says, getting back to work. "Oh yeah, you don't have to call me with the 'sama' either…" he adds, but she would refuse. "It would cause undue issues in front if visitors or on business trips, amd you are a king candidate as well, would it not be disrespectful to always call you properly?"

He pondered. "Well, I guess you do have a point… see ya later, Ram." he then leaves, going off to find Emilia, both so that he can talking with her and so that he can bring her for studying as well.

At least he didn't have to search long, he found her in her room, pacing about in worry and angst. The initial reaction was nervousness, like yesterday, maybe the idea of marriage was still a bit much for her… no, it was just that, she doesn't much understand relationships of that kind, so attempting to act that way causes her distress, which usually bares a cute or lovable reaction, like how she is right now.

He learned that Puck hadn't come out of his crystal since the library incident, and Subaru could understand why, as how they were being crushed against each other on the floor. Maybe he was also angry at Beatrice for doing that to Emilia, he figured he would be if he was in his position.

Beyond that, he was simply trying to get cute reactions out of her, which was proving to be more difficult without people around, but she was definitely a good person to talk to, and absorbed quite a lot of whatever he said as true… especially when he began talking about Beatrice, about his plans to bring her into the fold of being 'normal' again.

She mostly agreed with his ideas on that, but the true issue was execution… How does one go about it? It was difficult for either ti come up for an answer, and before they knew it Reinhard came to teach them with a few large books in hand.

* * *

One would have found this wholesomely boring to 'endure' as it was literally him reading straight out of a book, or rather three and a half whole books for four whole hours, almost non stop.

But that was the most effective way, as everything he said was quite literally etched into their memory with permanent chisel, so in those four hours they learned everything inside of those books and could recite them perfectly if asked to, and for a short time Reinhard had him try writing, which he wrote in Japanese first.

"Si you are fluent in a written language, even if it isn't ours… Though, why is it pronounced the exact same way?" he had to ask, being that two completely different languages could have different writing styles, syllables and characters, yet be pronounced in speech the same way without error. "Don't know, wish I knew. But… would it be difficult to transition?" "No, it'll be even easier, then."

He had him write a word in japanese and then copy the character he presented him with, and afterwards that was ingrained into both mental and muscle memory as well. An impossible thing he thought, but the sword saint really is just that amazing, that this kind of thing is possible.

It was then when he realized… With this kind of teaching, each word only has to be copied once for him to know it perfectly, it was just a process of elimination until he finally knows them all, which would occur in the next two or three weeks.

As for books and history, he had, in those four hours, learned a great deal about Lugnica as a country and a few other nations, some long since dissolved and the current ones, that the world was dominated by the four nations of today.

One striking thing he learned was the Demihuman war, and what caused it… And who resolved it. It wasn't hard to realize the sword saint's true power as he had been with him the past three days, but that Therisia, his grandmother, was responsible for ending an entire 10 year war almost single handedly?

Insanity. But, true. It was also unsettling how it was mostly directed at half elves, so Subaru was saddened that the country would go into civil war over what a person looks like, or because of what they are, instead of what they've done. It's not fair, and he thinks it's not fair.

Emilia though, hearing history uncut as Reinhard told it, was a little mortified… And was very happy that Subaru thought how he did, and hugged him for it. Not even awkward, it was just a way of saying thank you.

Essentially, from today, Subaru got a good gage of how far along he'll be in a week, a month, even a year ahead… And it was looking like he'd be finished with everything he was supposed to learn or train on in just a month or so's time.

* * *

The three headed for the dining room, being led by Rem who had retrieved them. Inside was normal, but… Beatrice, she was sitting next to his spot. Emilia nudged him a bit since he stopped moving, so he kept going and took his seat.

She looked… Not mad? I guess that's the best you could say, that she didn't look mad or annoyed, maybe he coerced her.

Dinner proceeded as normal with Roswaal asking about what he learned, how his and Emilia's days were, if he was comfortable here, but all of that was mostly just idle chatter for both of them, they were more concerned about Beatrice, who seemingly began getting annoyed with Roswaal droning on with the questions.

But, dinner ended before she could explode. Maybe it was lucky, but probably not.

Besides watching Emilia talk with spirits outside and even touching a few, he was getting pretty tired. Steadily tired, even if he wanted to stay and watch Emilia in the majestic light of spirits, he couldn't, so went to bed.

* * *

"End of day two, and it wasn't that bad. Haa… I really wonder though, is Reinhard actually note bored? He's teaching me like somebody would a child… But he's right, in like a month then… He won't have to anymore… What then? Just political stuff?"

The questions piled on for a while as he sat in bed, minutes compounding on top of each other as the night passed away, or rather just around an hour as he kept thinking, until he heard a soft knocking at his door.

"Uhh.. Come in?" he said, and the door opened slowly, though while expecting Rem or Emilia, it was neither. "I thought about it, I suppose." a familiar young voice came to audible levels, Beatrice.

"Did… What did you decide?" she was sitting on the end of his bed now. "Betty dislikes being wrong, in fact." she says. "Are you wrong?" the long silence that followed afterwards was a bit painful to her. "Yes."

She submitted to his request form earlier. "what will you do, then?" he questioned. "Betty will…" she just goes silent, maybe it was too hard to say or maybe she really didn't know.

"... That's alright, do you want to stay here for now?" again there was no response. "Okay, but i'm going to sleep. If I don't see you in the morning, then at magic training. Goodnight, Beako."

* * *

EoC Auth/Char convo

[King Sub] "Well, you're past the point of no return on Beako. why'd you do it?"

[MNR] "Well, Red kinda wanted it, and I thought 'why not?' because I've never had her lose her pride before, or well... like this, so I am experimenting. so... congratulations. Beako is your first child."

[King Sub] "That's bull! That damn loli is literally over twenty times my age, how does that even begin to make sense?!"

[MNR] "Trust me, there are some anime out there with even weirder shit being the norm, imagine what weird level shit to them would look like to us?"

[King Sub] "Ahh... fuck, good point."

[Knight Sub] "RE SHORTS!"

[Red] "Fuck off, King Shorts!"

[MNR] "I'm happy to write both you fucking lunatics, just stop yelling at me!"

[MNR] "Oh, an btw, look at this future for you guys." (Shows future in mystique way shape or form to subarus)

[Subarus] "WHAT THE FUCK MAN?!"

[Red] "Its only temporary, that's why the Arc is called 'Convergence!'

[MNR] "We've said too much, they're shutting us down!"

['THEM'] "FREEZE, IT'S THE FB-" (Channel cuts, explosion sounds and gunshots)

[MNR] "Seeya next time!"

 **Mhmm, yeah it really did take a long time. Though, the next chapter will finally end Arc 1!**

 **Or maybe i'll put in a Dragon King: Shorts! Chapter during the 2 ½ week period between Arc 1 and Arc 2.**

 **Also, speaking of Arcs, we have 10 to 14 confirmed and many OCs, may you look forward to the silver and black haired childrens!**

 **Hnn, Beako in this ff is going to be treated like a kid really hard by Subaru after magic training, as you can already see she got pretty ruined in front of Emilia, Rem and Reinhard, all by tickle submission.**

 **Seeya next time in Re:BBZ (R) for Re:Shorts!**


	3. Chapter 3 old

**It's been difficult over here. Personal things are going a bit shitty, so… yeah. Updates might slow down considerably due to IRL things on my end.**

 **Though, please enjoy.**

Chapter 3, The Mabeast Incident.

"Subaru kun…" Rem whispered to herself just outside his door, she had already woken Emilia up so now her task was to wake him, and she stood with her hand hovering over the knob. She then finally opened it, taking a look at the still room inside.

Though, what she saw first thing on his bed? It made her gasp, as the figure seemingly cuddled closer to her master's back, she was taken aback by the figure's blond hair and vivid red and white dress… "L… Lady… Beatrice?" she questioned, honestly shocked by what she was seeing.

"Ugh… This is so uncomfortable, Betty should have chosen her own bed, I suppose…" Beatrice mumbled a bit, slowly shaking her head as she sat up and wiped her eyes a while. "Betty is still regretful, that… Ugh, he infuriates me to no end, I suppose." she said, noticing Subaru sleeping peacefully there next to her.

Rem decided to close the door lightly then knock on it, then heard a gasp from inside, then some quick and light footsteps hurrying to the door. "What is it, I wonder?" she asked as she opened the door, then deadpanned as she saw Ram standing there. "How long did you listen, I wonder?" she questioned, making Rem go stiff.

"Whatever, Betty doesn't care. Wake him up, I suppose. He is contracted with Betty for magic training until he goes off with the other one and Astrea, I suppose…" she said, leaving the room and quickly going through another door.

"Good morning." another voice to her side startled her, making her turn to see Reinhard. "Subaru sama seems to have pacified Beatrice, hasn't he?" he happily asks, her nodding. "Yes, I was surprised… Lady Beatrice… It may be hard to get used to, Rem thinks." she says, putting a finger to her cheek.

She then opened the door and woke up Subaru, as Reinhard flipped through a new book that Subaru would be learning out of. "Of these books only the beginners stuff is actually geared for teaching… This one records the experience of using a kind of negation technique, but doesn't mention what it's called or what to visualize… What it does though, cancelling out the use of one's gate so long as they're within the effect range… And cancels out magic entering the zone as well?" he said, flipping through a few more pages.

Subaru sleepily walked out of the room to see Reinhard reading the book. "You sure it's alright to skip out after breakfast?" he asked, Reinhard nodding. "Yes, I even prepared some clothes for you." he said, leading Subaru to sigh. "Honestly, you do way too much, man…"

* * *

Magic training commenced, with Beatrice… Not being snooty, actually she was lulling about while kicking her legs forward as she sat on her stool, with Reinhard and Subaru sitting across from her… Inside the gazebo.

Emilia was actually sitting with them, watching over the studies as she herself learned a bit about shadow magic as well, something she herself couldn't use.

"So what you're saying now is, that if I were to figure out how to form a negation spell, that…. I could even strip somebody like Reinhard just to his own physical strengths?" he asked, Beatrice nodding. "Astrea… while I doubt losing his magic self boosting, whatever that is called, would do you any good when he has so many useful divine protections… Feasibly yes, you could do so." she said.

"It's actually far better for stopping anyone not skilled in hand to hand combat, so long as its up nobody inside the area can use magic at all… Which would also make spirits not casting it completely defenseless as well."

That comment made Beatrice flinch. "Ah-" "Oh, so I can render the all powerful Beako powerless? Awesome!" he laughs a bit, poking at Beatrice's nerves and Emilia happily watched with a smile on her face from the interaction.

"If you'd stop poking fun at me, I could actually teach you something, I suppose..." she angrily says, puffing out her chest with a 'hmph' as well. "Okay, okay. Beako, do you have any spells for negation?" he asked, but she shook her head.

"Betty never had a use for negation magic, it may prevent others from using magic but for a spirit… We don't have strong physical forms, so…" "Aah, right. I guess I overlooked that aspect… But you'll help me with making one, right?" "Nuh uh, Betty refuses, in fact." "Please? I'll buy you candy from the town later today!"

That caught her attention, but soon she just huffed again and turned away, making Subaru hunch over in defeat. "Well alright, I guess i'll persuade you later… Beyond that, what else?"

This question led to Reinhard taking over 'class' and Beatrice filling in the things he explained by casting example spells for him, then him attempting to cast the spells himself afterwards.

Thus may not be a very good way of doing it, but Reinhard's teaching divine protections honestly make it impossible to forget… So, it was the most efficient.

"Shamak." he aimed his hand at a somewhat far away distance, and then a strange black cloud shot towards it and enveloped it, then dissipated… But left something as well, the plant was left covered in this kind of dark aura, signaling that the Shamak worked wonderfully.

"I was a little curious about this one, in fact. For being such an easy spell, it uses a high amount of mana… making it oddly difficult to master despite how easy it is." she said. "Yeah? I could feel that pull whatever out of my gate pretty well unlike the other things, but the use seems pretty well worth it for the cost."

Beatrice nodded. "Yes, I suppose. Pair that with a follow up offensive spell properly and it should end most any fight… But." "But?" "Anyone versed enough in magic should be able to break the effects, though they still can't see through the mist it leaves behind, I suppose."

Subaru nodded to the new information. "Ah, yeah. So the stronger the opponent, the stronger the spells you gotta use…" he said. "Hmm. It's also why we're training you this way, so that you're on par with the royal guard or similar once we go back to the capitol. Who knows, maybe you'll want to spar with one, or challenge one to a duel?" Reinhard asked in an uncertain tone, most of his thinking was based on Subaru's possible actions in the future.

"I don't see myself sparring with knights, but what you've taught me… Yeah, being prepared for anything is probably the smartest thing you can do." he said, testing meenya now. Beatrice sighed and waved her arm, a mostly translucent shield appearing in front of her. "Woa…" "With magic that you summon and control, like earth, water, some kinds of light and shadow magic, it is easy to change what you want on a whim, in fact." she said, as the shield morphed into a spear.

"Is that just with meenya?" he asked, but she shook her head. "Its true that you can change the overall shape of the spears in meenya, but making them into different objects like a shield require great imagination, and to make it stronger, to resist against other magics better, you must also learn to solidify it." she said, and the spear then went pitch black.

"Ooh." he just looked at it as it refined into a perfect cone, pitch black as ever, it was majestic to see compared to the crudeness if the regular spear. "Solidification? I thought that was just a myth." Reinhard added, looking quite impressed with the result. "Yes, lost to the grasp of time, I suppose. One can even make it permanently formed, though once that happens it is impossible to reverse…"

Reinhard pondered that. "Oh, that's dangerous." he said. "Yet he looks like he doesn't care if it's dangerous at all, I suppose." she said, pointing to Subaru. "Eh.. Yeah, I was thinking… If you can solidify one in say the shape of a cup or a knife then… Would it be as strong as the counterpart? Or am I just being stupid with my possible business ideas?"

She sighed. "So dense, I suppose. Yes, they would be far stronger than whatever you could craft using normal methods, but I forbid marketing my magic for retail use, I suppose!" "Alright alright, I wont. But that's cool that it's totally possible."

As the hours passed on, more of this banter ensued with random magic testing, eventually getting to healing magic… Something that Subaru could, miraculously, cast… Albeit terribly. Beatrice's comment on it was - "Your affinity for water magic is so low that you're best off forgetting you even know it, but at least you could maybe heal basic wounds with it… Over enough time, of course."

* * *

Subaru was now in his room, looking down at himself and in the mirror, the mostly black outfit with gold and white thin striped lines making neat designs along the arms and at the sides of its length. The pants were somewhat fit yet comfortable, and… The ring, a platinum ring with many white diamonds surrounding a larger one in the center, that was also his…

"Geez, isn't this overkill?" he asked Rem, the one now by his side with other articles of clothing. "No, Subaru kun. It makes you look the part, wear it proud." she says, smiling at him. "Right… I wish I could complain about it being uncomfortable or something but these feel better than my tracksuit, and… The cape?"

A black and white cape, one that matched his suit almost perfectly with a gooden bottom as well. "Rem wished to help Reinhard sama make these, but he did them by himself… Though I agree with this result, it is better than what Rem was envisioning." she said, watching as he added the cape to his attire.

"Huh, so Reinhard did this? Seriously he does too much… And don't you and Ram do everything else in the mansion single handedly?" he questioned, and she was hesitant to nod. "Ah… But Roswaal sama will be hiring more because I have become yours and Emilia sama's personal maid, however Reinhard offered to fill in where I can't… Roswaal refused to accept his offer."

Subaru nodded. "Huh, so he really is how I think he is. Reinhard is Reinhard, to the beat." he sighs, taking a twirl and watching in the mirror, he nodded to himself. "I'm as ready as i'll ever be, I wonder though… How will Emilia tan fair with them, being her… Image, to them?" he could only wonder about it, he was concerned for her well being, and having people hurting her feelings was something he disliked to think about.

"When I left Emilia sama, her face was red after presented the engagement ring. I… Don't know if she's put it on yet." she told him. "Ah… I would be hesitant too, in her position just going to the village sounds scary… wearing a ring in public is like a whole different level, though…"

* * *

And that was true, she had taken the ring and was waiting just inside her room while staring at it in deep thought… About everything, and what she should do. "It's alright, Lia." Puck sat on her shoulder, rubbing her cheek with his paw. "But… I am not worried about Subaru, a litter nervous.. Maybe, but…"

Puck nodded. "He's worried about that too, I think he's figuring a way to solve it.. But if they learn better, they won't…" "I know, if they can trust me, then… Everything will be fine, they might even like me…" she was still in deep thought, making Puck sigh. "Yes, yes… I'll help with as much as I can, Lia. Just don't get overwhelmed, okay?" "Mhh." "Alright."

The cat disappeared into the crystal, it glowing brightly as she looked again to the ring. "I can do this, I can." she say to herself, taking on a look of bravery, and heading outside her room.

She immediately looked to Subaru's room, and then saw him walk out followed by Rem soon after. "So… We're good to go?" he asked, and while it took a moment she nodded. "E… Yes."

This being somewhat awkward, they decided just to go next to each other, though whenever their hands collided they both retracted them quite hastily, to anybody watching that it'd seem they were trying to force the other into grabbing theirs… Which both were very inclined to do, though never came to doing it.

Altogether both maids, the couple and Reinhard travelled down to the village, the maids splitting off and the three looking around at everything that was new to them, or rather to Subaru.

Though, most expectedly, their view of Emilia usually made them quiet, and seeing Subaru scared them a bit, and seeing the sword saint? With a supposed noble, a half elf and the sword saint together, what could a person come to think? It was odd beyond proportion, and everyone was hesitant to even approach them… Until Reinhard played damage control.

Telepathy is one hell of a way to talk out plans, and now Subaru and Emilia were mostly enjoying looking around at stuff more towards the outskirts of town closer to some open fields.

A good say twenty minutes rolled by until someone, an older looking man with balding silver hair came up to them. "Subaru sama, Emilia sama?" he called their names, catching their attention. "Oh?" "Y-yes?" they responded.

"Ah, so you're the ones they're all scared of…" he chuckled a bit. "Aah, i'll go talk to them. But before I go…" he eyed the rings, the two started blushing a bit as they realized what he was making a connection to. "Haha, Young ones… Neither of you know what to do, huh?" he asked, slowly getting nods from them.

"Well, you do have quite a long time to learn." he started. He pulled Subaru aside for the end. "You've chosen a hard path, I think. I'm glad you know what to do, though." he then backed away and smiled as he waved, leaving the two behind.

Emilia looked at Subaru curiously. "What did he say?" she asked him. "That you're super cute and may we have many, many wonderful dates." she just stopped to think about that. "W-what? That can't be right!" she jerked her gaze over to the leaving man while displaying both shock and disbelief on her face.

Subaru then bobbed her nose with a finger. "It's what I said, but they guy is pretty nice." "Subaru!" "Ehehe…" Red faced and a little angry with that, she then sighed and let it go. "Alright, but after this… Ahh…" "No dessert for a week?" he asked her jokingly, but then instantly regretted it from the shine in her eyes.

"Yes! Exactly that!" "Woa woa! Backfire, I take it back! No wait… No, you're still super cute!" he kept fumbling around in his own words, which Emilia just giggled to. "Okay, so now what?" she asked, the two of them beginning to stand.

"Aah… Well, give that some time to sit, meanwhile…" he tilted his head a bit. "Ah." he slammed a fist into his other palm as he figured something to do. "Kids! Where were those kids? We should play with them!" "Kids? Are you sure?" "Absolutely!"

Essentially from here, he pulled her along as she remained nervous and also eager to follow his devices, and while she was embarrassed by his random praises and pointed comments towards her, she found it all that much fun. She could enjoy this, and she was.

* * *

Finding kids in such a small village… Isn't very hard to do. Subaru could hear them playing from a ways away, and towed Emilia to them as well. Of course they shied away at first, but then came around to enjoying the two's company.

Though most of them were being brave with acting fine around Emilia, but… At least they didn't comment on it, and when she interacted with them they began to warm up towards her.

"Emily san! Emily san! Over here! Look, a puppy!" - they chose to call her Emily, a cute change of her name… Much like the Miload that she knows. "Oh? A puppy? Where?" she looked to the children with a kind of childish gaze, she was having as much fun as they were, and Subaru repressed a grin of triumph, his gamble worked out.

A girl named Meili showed them to a small clearing near the forest, and then a puppy ran out to her hands. She picked it up and brought it over, showing the other kids and the two. Emilia enjoyed petting it, while it wasn't nearly as soft as Puck, the thing was definitely a treat to feel.

Then, Subaru. He went to pet it and it growled, which was a bit odd. "Eh? And I thought animals liked me?" he said. Emilia felt it was strange as well, it somehow singled out Subaru and was hostile to him.

But, it yawned, closing its eyes and looked calm… So he then took the chance, and also pet it then. "I wonder why it-" but it suddenly bit him as his fingers crossed over an odd spot on its head. "Ouch!"

Emilia was worried seeing this, Subaru held his hand as blood started to trickle down it, and the kids looked terrified… Probably because they think that they hurt a noble. "Geez Subaru, here…" she took his hand and healed it for him.

Sure enough, after that incident, the kids wanted to spread out and leave before anything that causes real damage could happen, so they waved them off, and was soon joined by the maids… Reinhard was still nowhere to be seen.

Beyond talking about their experiences at the town on their visit, it was probably Emilia that struck it the best. She came in feeling nervous and shy, knowing how people normally react to her appearance, yet the townspeople were relatively friendly and the children were indifferent towards her, and she even played with them a bit.

So, for Subaru, it was a mission success.

* * *

It would be almost sunset now, Subaru spent most of his time with Emilia, more specifically trying to romance the girl, which.. While it wasn't exactly working, it wasn't _not_ working either, getting more 'young' reactions to things, so he changed his methods accordingly.

"Hey Reinhard, where are you?" Subaru said, while it interested Emilia she remembered that Reinhard has the divine protection of Telepathy, so it made sense. " _Nearly back at the mansion, I noticed a few of the magic barrier stones near the village were broken, so I fixed them. Also there was a small group of Ulgarm near there as well, so I also eliminated them._ "

"You said Ulgarm? The uhh… Demon dogs, yeah. Why do you think they were near the village?" he asked. " _I can't be certain, but I believe they were being controlled. They definitely showed odd behaviour for being wild, at least._ " "Huh… Maybe we should look into that." " _Yes, Subaru sama._ "

He sighed. "Ulgarm? Near the village?" Emilia asked worriedly, her face showing concern. "Eyeah, Reinhard said there was a few nearby the village and that some of the barrier stones were broken, so he went and fixed em. I was wondering why he was taking so long but… Now we know."

"Ahh… Okay, I just want to keep them safe… If I know they're in danger… I can't let them get hurt!" she says. "Mh, you do have that spirit, I wouldn't want them to be hurt either."

They sat there for a while longer, at least until Reinhard came back. They were all in the living room, at least four people were, the couple, Reinhard and Beatrice all sat at a table enjoying tea. "Tea isn't really my thing, but it's pretty nice now that I think about it." he says, drinking a bit more.

But, both Reinhard and Beatrice had somewhat confused and worried looks. "Do.. Do I sense a curse?" Beatrice said, looking around the room a bit cautiously. "Yes, I sense it too…" Reinhard added, but after staring at Emilia for a few seconds, his eyes widened when they landed on Subaru. "Subaru sama, were you injured recently?" he suddenly asked.

Subaru was a bit thrown. "I mean, uhh… Yes? A puppy bit me and Emilia healed it, but… Oh, the mark never went away?" he looked at his palm, and sure enough two round marks were still there on the surface. "You've gone and gotten yourself cursed, I suppose…" Beatrice sighed, touched him and then a dark aura spread out from the marks.

Emilia just watched as Reinhard stood up and Beatrice grabbed the smoke, it dissipating the second she did. "A puppy? I believe that was an Ulgarm taking shape as a puppy…" Subaru was finally caught up on what was going on. "Oh shit… OK we gotta hurry, some kids have it!"

The two, Subaru and Reinhard, start running off at once. Emilia wanted to say something but they were already out the door, leaving her with just Beatrice. "I would help, but Betty's contract binds her here…" she said. "Get Subaru to contract you, Betty."

A familiar grey cat appeared, hovering in front of her. "B-Bubby!" she squealed, grabbing the cat and affectionately playing with it. "But… Betty can't just…" "You can, it's just a matter of if you want to or not, right?" she looked a little gloomy. "I suppose…"

Emilia again wanted to say something, but Beatrice took Puck away in an instant. She was left alone in the living room, and realizing this, she felt… Lonely. "Subaru… Please come back…" she said, and then waited at the door for their return.

* * *

"Reinhard, over here!" Subaru called to his knight, they were cutting through the village that was in somewhat of a panic, heading right to the spot that the puppy was found… And when they got there, they saw one of the brand new barrier stones was laying on the ground, looking like it was thrown from its place. "Yeah, i don't think a puppy did that." Subaru commented. "So there is a Mabeast user… I have to find them…" Reinhard made that an objective.

Subaru hopped the fence, Reinhard following behind. "See those?" Reinhard pointed to a group of varying footprints, definitely the kids. "Mhmm, looks like we're going in…"

From behind, man that was running past saw the two heading in and took that as a hint, so went to alert the others.

Back at the mansion, the news had already spread...and Rem was already leaping her way towards them at fast pace.

Aside from her, the two were already trudging through the forest. Moving at fast pace, they didn't encounter much… Save two or three Ulgarm at random, not controlled at all.

Rem caught up to them fairly quickly, just in time for then to all reach the clearing where the children were. "Damn… Ah… We need to get them back to the village fast…" Subaru was thinking, he was short something - Gate Crossing, he could try, but he never learned how to actually use it yet, so they would have to do it by hand.

"Su… Baru…" - The girl with chestnut hair called for him, getting his attention. "Oo… Petra, right… You're a strong girl, just hang in there…" "One more… in the forest…" she said, then passed out.

Looking around, they were definitely missing one.. Meili, they were missing her. "Subaru sama, I can take them to Lady Beatrice, she has agreed to cure them." he said, so Subaru looked to Rem. "Yes. Ahh.. Rem, will you help me with this?" "Yes, anything for Subaru kun." she said.

He felt it was.. Odd, at least. He pat her head, and after checking the kids one last time they two ran off towards where Petra pointed them towards. "Good luck, Subaru sama… I'll try my best to return before anything happens…"

* * *

Rem and Subaru now moved through the woods by themselves, Rem playing navigator as Subaru followed behind, yet the silence was killing him. "Geez.. Yeah, I can smell dogs alright…" Subaru commented silently, but a sound from Rem indicated she heard it. "I smell something alive." she said, and then stopped.

"I take it, that it's really bad?" "Yes." Subaru could feel it, in fact you could probably see it if you looked hard enough… That feeling that you're walking into a trap. They two credit forward, and then could finally see it - a clearing with a downed tree on their end of it, yet nothing noteworthy in it beyond that.

Oh, besides the girl, the unconscious one near the tree. "What do you think, is it a trap or is it a trap?" he asked. "Ahh… Both?" "Why not b- why was I going to say that? Nevermind, but even if it is without a doubt a trap, it looks like we're doing it."

She had no response to that, she knew they were going to. They had to. So, they did.

Running out into the open and grabbing her, Subaru then turned ti where he heard some growling to see a lone ulgarm glaring at him with glowing red demon like eyes… Then it was suddenly hurled as if it was a piece of paper, the sounds of bones breaking and flesh tearing filled the area as Rem's morningstar collided with its chest, effectively the thing was dead instantly… If not, it would suffocate to blood.

He was already moving towards where they came from when he then saw dozens of pairs of eyes staring at them from that direction, it was impossible for them to escape on foot… that way, at least.

So, Subaru grabbed Rem's arm, something she didn't expect, and said "Murak, Minya." It would probably be impossible for him to carry them if he didn't use murak, now in total the two weighed maybe ten pounds at most, them jumping into the air, high up above the treeline right onto a… Not so wide platform.

"Subaru kun… That was smart." she said, looking down at the ulgarm swarming where they just were. "It might be smart, but… What way is the village? I still can't see lights…" if you looked around, that would be the case.

She sniffed the air, the pointed off towards the left. "That way, though…" "We can't stay up here too long, i'll run out." "I… I know." so, the two were in a bad spot. They could get a decent distance away from the ulgarm up here then continue on foot, and it was looking like it'd be just like that.

So… They did just that. Jumping from platform to platform over large expanses at less than a tenth their own weight, they made it a ways ahead of the pack and then touched down to the ground.

* * *

Seven minutes… That's all it took, seven minutes and they were now fighting their way through the forest towards the town. Subaru could see lights, and was casting minya at the dogs every time he looked back. As for Rem? She.. Wasn't doing well, or at least that's what it looked like. Most of the tears in her uniform and scuffs on her arms and face were caused by her jumping through brush, not by any of the dogs, and he was somewhat the same.

"Not much further, Subaru!" "I see it!" the two said, but then they both heard an impossible roar, freezing them in place. Turning over to see the origin point, they saw it… The puppy, it glared at them with yellow glowing eyes as a yellow glow began to form around it, and at least two dozen ulgarm started charging from multiple directions as well.

A rumbling sound followed, and seeing what was coming towards them… A rock slide, definitely caused by the puppy. "Oh shit…" it was already too close to jump to the side, so… "El minya!"

He shouted, a large V-like wall formed in front of him and Rem, just as the dit and rock impacted… Rem was staring at it in disbelief and Subaru fell to his knees, that took pretty much all he had left, all in one cast.

Rem picked him up and got him out to the side of the slide, and then the barrier vanished. Where they were standing, was now covered in five feet of dirt and rock. Rem sighed, looking up the many ulgarm… She would have to do something she hoped she didn't have to do for them to make it now.

She stepped out and drew her horn, pulling back her morningstar and then swinging it forward, she huffed as her eyes flickered between full blue and her normal orbs… Then lost it to full blue.

Subaru could only watch as she started outright slaughtering the things, but he noticed it… She was not being cautious, she didn't notice the five or six ulgarm that began to head around to the upper ground to her left, so he tried casting Minya.

The bolts… Disappeared. He was out, all he could do was watch as he called to her, but she didn't' react… So, he tackled her. "Uh.. S..! NOO!" she saw what he just pushed her out of the way of, four of them were now on top of him as she landed, her mind in a state of panic… she had to save him.

The morning star flew over him and hit two, killing them, the others scattering as she ran up and help him, he was unconscious… And she prayed that he live.

 **A/N. I wanted to make the whole thing go into just one chapter, but… Meh. My writing is getting bad, I gotta change some things on my end. For now, let this sate your desires.**

 **Ah, hmm… well, see you guys whenever I post the next chapter. o7**

 **Oh, right... I forgot!**

* * *

[EoC Discussions]

[King Sub] "Well, man... that took a long time, you OK MNR?"

[Knight Sub] "Yeah, you okay man?]

[MNR] "No... everyone is sick around me, the animals are not calming down and I gotta deal with it all. I think there might be a hiatus in all posts for a while..."

[Both Subs] "Please don't kill us!"

[MNR] "I'm not that mean, if I had to, i'd hand you guys over to somebody else."

[Red] "Aye! Nu uh, you do it."

[MNR] "Ha, tisn't like I wouldn't do it, just give me some time, it sucks here."

[Red] "Ugh... Alright, but still..."

[Reviewr] "Get well soon, MNR."

[MNR] "Thanks, I feel I might be getting sick now too... Mmh, time to drink some salt water."

[Knight Sub] "That sounds... very very dumb."

[MNR] "Because it is. ah, seeya next time!"

[Subs] "Seeya!"


	4. Short: Learning Day, Conception

**Tis but a short chapter, the next one will also be, maybe even shorter. After, look forward to the Capital scene, it's to be Chapter 4!**

Short Chapter: Learning Day, Conception.

Though there wasn't much time to pray, as she scrambled to pick both Subaru and Meili up.

She was injured, yes, but she ignored it, for good reason. Not because if she stopped she would be overtaken by the Ulgarm, no, but because she heals incredibly fast. She would be perfectly fine by the time she made it to the fence.

But, as she ran, she was knocked over by a gust a wind. She looked back, only to see three Ulgarm suddenly fall to the ground, hand marks either ait their necks or fist imprints on their sides, the force behind those strikes killed them before they could so much as yelp or whimper.

This was the power of the Sword Saint. Even without a sword, Reinhard is more than capable of doing this and more. And in this case, the incentive was his king, he couldn't fail. He would not fail.

So, Rem picked herself up once again, and ran with all the strength she could muster, jumping the fence and making it to a house that one of the villagers guided her to.

She didn't much remember what was happening at the moment as it was all going by so fast, Emilia and Beatrice amd Ram all showing up as well, Beatrice left right after handling the curses and the imminently dangerous wounds Subaru had, leaving herself and Emilia there to do the rest.

And, they did. Emilia exhausted herself during this, and she herself was on the brink of doing so, if she were human she would be unconscious at the moment. She was finally gaining coherence, and went outside to her sister.

"Nee sama, i'm sorry." she said. "Sorry for what? You got him out if there, and he's fine now." she looked to her, not understanding it. "I… I was the reason why he was injured in the first place. He pushed me out if the way when I didn't notice a group of them came from above me.. I can't imagine he's happy with how things turned out…"

Ram shook her head. "If what I think is true, he isn't going to blame you. He's too… Himself to. And, I would think he'll be more preoccupied with Emilia sama to bother."

Ram knows she likes him, but that really was the truth, and she knows it. Rem's cheeks tint a slight red, thinking over what she's about to say. "E-even so… I will make him know how I feel, even if I will only be rejected in the end…" "Uuhhg…"

Ram was pinching the bridge of her nose, not disappointed, but feeling like whatever she says now would be pointless in trying to stop her sister. "Just don't embarrass yourself too much, Rem." "Hehehe…"

* * *

It was well past sunrise now, Rem and Ram had slept at the mansion and were already back awake and preparing to distribute special food today, stuff for the villagers to ease their minds from yesterday. They left Emilia and Subaru down there inside that house, and Reinhard had yet to return from the woods.

Subaru slowly opened his eyes, feeling rather sore, but refreshed nonetheless. He blinked when he saw the unfamiliar ceiling, but it was a very welcome sight. 'I didn't die! Wait, what about that kid? What about Rem?' but, everything was peaceful. Those worries disappeared quickly, as he turned to see Emilia resting against a support beam, looking utterly exhausted. He did spot the ring she still had on, smiling at that.

"Made you worry a lot yesterday, huh? I think that 'no desert' thing will be expanded to a month, then…" "I don't know, you did make Lia worry, but you also made her happy. Your actions yesterday were good, even I can say that." Puck appeared from behind her, floating towards him. "Puck?" "Good morning, Subaru."

He sat on Subaru's shoulder, yawning. "But you mean that? They were good?" "Mhmm, Lia appreciates what you did. I don't think a punishment is in order, moreso… A celebration, I think."

Subaru got up and stretched, Puck sitting on him while following the movements with his arms rather lazily. "So, I did alright.. Hopefully this is the last dangerous thing I do for a while." "Hmm… yeah, I guess so as well… Even though I don't want to see this wedding through, Lia would be heartbroken…" "What?! Are you saying you'd kill me if she didn't care?" "Well…"

Subaru grabbed at the cat, but he shot up into the air, making a mocking face and waving at him with a paw. "Then… Then i'll make sure Emilia tan is the happiest person ever, to spite you!" "Aww, I can't even be sad that you're not lying about that. Seriously though, Subaru, don't let Lia down." "I promise I won't."

He reached out a paw to shake, and he took it. "Good." though, unknown to the both of them, Emilia heard all of it… and he reddening face was more than proof, yet neither noticed even on their way out. Even Subaru, who stopped briefly next to her and parted a small bit of her hair from the front of her face before leaving didn't.

"Those dummies… Subaru, what am I going to do with you?" she sat there alone by the beam, looking out at the sunny village as her fiance was dumbly entertaining the kids and making friends with the adults, and the maids handed out food as well.

She was thinking hard about this. She and Subaru know that her mentality is behind, she told him about being frozen since a young age and only recently being released. Yet, it didn't deter him for a second. He would keep at his flirting and tomancing until she understands, she knows that as well.

But, she was dreading tomorrow. She asked Reinhard to teach her about relationships the day before yesterday, and tomorrow is when that special lesson would happen. She was, honestly, embarrassed.

She cringed just thinking about it.

* * *

Subaru eventually joined the maids in handing out food, and of course taking some for himself. He was starving, after all. "So, everyone made it out fine, but where's Reinhard?" "Subaru sama, could you not ask him with that telepathy thing?" "Oh yeah! But, that's not as fun."

She sighed at his mentality. "Oh, Rem, you did great yesterday. Thanks for getting me out in one piece, I thought I was a goner." hearing that she was relieved, and very happy. Then she was nudged by Ram, who stuck out her tongue to her. 'Told you' was written all over that action. "What? Ram doing something cute? Something must be wrong, you never do cute things."

Ram quickly fixed her posture and looked normal again, speaking in monotone. "Rem, Rem, Barusu sama must be imagining things." "Sister, sister, Subaru kun is imagining things." Rem joined in, then the two laughed afterwards. "Deja vu anyone? Wait, you two! Come back here!" he was left behind, the two jokesters returning to the mansion..

* * *

Reinhard carried on through the woods, he knew that all was well back in the village and mansion now. But, his job wasn't done. He found a source for the control over the Ulgarm, an 'alpha' as you could say, and was currently following its trail. He stopped by a tree nearby a cliff edge, looking down to the valley below.

"This is where it is. I know they're congregated down there… is it supposed to be an ambush?" he already knew the answer to that. "I should get back to Subaru and Emilia sama before dark… At least before Emilia sama's request. That give me…" he looked to the sun, seeing it was nearing dusk. "Roughly an hour here, ten minutes to get back. Just before sun down."

He stood at the edge, and started falling forwards. Though, he didn't fall, rather he started running down the face of the cliff, and easily righted himself at the bottom. How his uniform was still relatively clean was beyond speculation, the only signs of it being dirty being his gloves, cuffs and shoes. Not even the ends of his pant legs were dirty.

*Grooaarrr* a loud howl erupted from the forest immediately in front of him, and three hundred individual pairs of eyes glared at him with high intensity. In his hand was a worn out sword with a red handle, where it came from was up to debate, but it was lodged into a tree when he found it earlier. It lightly shined, magic coursing through it.

"Please, hold out until this is done. I will give you a proper burial afterwards." he said to the blade, and then the forest erupted as hundreds of wolves charged out of their place right towards him. He closed his eyes, and then started swinging.

* * *

"Ugh, I suppose. If you weren't contracted to Betty, I would just blast you away right now, in fact. Here, take your newfound knowledge and check on him yourself, I suppose." Beatrice looked sleepy and angry at the same time, completely annoyed that Subaru would come to bug her today.

"Thanks Beako, now lets see where Reinhard is, eh?" "You could have just asked him that by speaking aloud, I suppose." he just waved off her words, and opened a rift. Yes, he was just taught Gate Crossing, only by bugging Beatrice endlessly until he offered her candy.

He poked his head through and saw something he would rather not have. A field filled with nothing but bodies of wolves and a single giant one that must have been the size of an elephant, maybe larger, its body was cut into three… One slice from mid shoulder crossed down over its chest, and another at the base of its neck through. Yeah, that thing was super dead.

But what was most striking was the fire charred remains of a lot of them, and the smell of burning meat and flesh. He looked for the cause and saw Roswaal floating in the air and Reinhard on the ground below, looking at him.

"Why isn't it nice to see you, Subaru sama." he gingerly said, going back to shooting flames at the rest of the bodies he was halfway through burning. "Hello, Subaru sama. Sorry to keep you waiting." Reinhard bowed, and in his hand was a sword that looked as though it was about to fall apart.

"Not going to even ask what happened, but stop. Just, take a rest man. You've been up for two days running around the woods." "I was planning on returning as soon as this was done, though Roswaal san came by near the end of this, and suggested he burn the remains. We'll be at the mansion shortly."

Subaru was not wanting to argue that. "Alright, dinner's going to be done soon anyways, so hurry back." and with a quick wave, the rift closed.

"Now my sanctum smells of burning flesh, I suppose. I am taking your room until it clears, I suppose." "Huh? Nah, i'm sleeping in my bed. If you choose to do what you did last time then be my guest, but that'll get kinda awkward when… Aah, i'm fantasizing again." "Yes, yes you are, I suppose."

* * *

It was now dinner, the usual setup with Roswaal at the head of the table, Emilia and Subaru on the left side if you looked at it from the door, and Reinhard and Beatrice in the right, so it was a little different. Rem was standing on the right and Ram the left, as well.

"Soo, Subaru sama, I heard that quite a lot happened while I was away." Roswaal started. "A lot… Yeah, a lot did happen. Gotta say, I used to like dogs. Now, i'm not really sure how to feel about them." he nodded. "Unfortunate, the amount of dogs that aren't demon beasts is quite low, many people share that opinion. Anyhow, I must thank all of you for handling the situation."

He clasped his hands together, looking to the two candidates. "I do guess now is the time for Reinhard kun to take over this conversation, he does have an announcement." He gestured over to him, and it did seem he was ready to speak. They both waited quietly for him to do so.

"Right. I will be returning to the capital in four weeks time to alert the Sage Council of your finding, Subaru sama. That would also mean that all of the candidates for the throne would have to be present before the royal guard and the nobility inside the castle. During that congregation, the Royal Selection will finally begin."

He paused, waiting for questions. "... So we have to go and meet literally everyone that holds power in the nation." he nods. "Well, what are they going to expect from us while we're there, besides being you know, not stupid." Subaru was being serious right now. This was important, so he wasn't going to mess around, even if it was a month away.

"I do believe a speech is all that they would expect, and the nobles do get impatient fairly fast, so you could say that it is fairly loose in requirements, even though it is so important." he said. "Nobles being impatient… I wonder where i've heard that before?"

"Okay Subaru. To the point.. Reinhard, can you tell him about Crusch san, Anastasia san, and... Priscilla?" "Yes." Subaru made note of how she said Priscilla, so she probably doesn't like her.

"Right. Crusch sama is a kind of strong willed character, she wants to make the dragon forget the covenant it demanded with the first king of Lugunica, that has persisted at every trading if power since then. She is the head of the Karsten family, as i've told you about them before, they're a very powerful family within this nation." he said.

"Anastasia sama is, by her own words, a very greedy person. Though, I don't see her much as a greedy person, more… She likes a challenge more than anything, is what I think. She is the owner of the Hoshin Trading Company, and has connections to almost every single merchant within Lugunica. Though, most of her power is within Kararagi, where her company is based. Her capital is endless, in a sense."

He lowered his gaze for the next one. "Priscilla sama… within the nobility and the Barielle family, she is known as the bloodstained bride. She has a large amount of land to her name, most of it gained through the unfortunate deaths of her husbands… Moving on from that, she has an unbelievably high amount of luck, it's similar to how I get divine protections simply because I want them or feel the need for something. No one is sure why it happens or how it is either, but it is how it is." he concluded.

"So they're all pretty powerful, even though I doubt the nobility like Priscilla, and Anastasia seems to be a foreigner. That leaves us two, neither of us have land or money to call our own, but we do have Roswaal and yourself backing us."

It was silent for a bit. "you have the two most powerful families backing you, and one major downside and one major upside as well." Roswaal said. "Huh? Explain?"

Roswaal closed his eyes, and looked a bit displeased. "It's unfortunate, but the downside is that Emilia sama bares a perfect image towards the Witch of Envy." he said, and Emilia seemed quite saddened by that, even her ears drooped.

"The upside, is that you're a male candidate. The only male candidate. And, you'd be married to another candidate as well." he said. It was mostly common sense, if you take into account that this world was based in the middle ages, and that all of the other candidates are female, in reality… Subaru had nothing to lose. He could marry any of them, almost without so much as a "why?" or declination from them, just for the fact that the nobility would listen to him far easier than any of the females.

Call it sexist, but a male clergy is going to listen to a male candidate far more than a female one. If he ran on his own from just the Astrea estate, he'd probably win very easily. But, he was paired with Emilia. This, this would make it about equal with the others, balancing out the negative and positive well.

"Huh.. So we're just as well off as any of the other candidates, is what you mean?" both Reinhard and Roswaal nod. "I see."

From here dinner went rather smoothly, at least until Roswaal asked what they would say at the capital. It was mostly decided that they would think of that closer to the time they have to go there, but Emilia was already determined… She wants everyone to be equal, to stop inequality and such.

It ended, and soon everyone went to sleep. Beatrice did in fact sneak into Subaru's room and sleep next to him, cutely on top of the blankets.

Everyone at least, besides Roswaal. He sat in his office looking down over his grounds as the moonlight illuminated it all, thinking…

* * *

It was the next day, directly after Emilia's request of Reinhard. It was overseen by Puck, but still, her idea of how stuff worked was way off. she knew it would be, but not by that outrageous amount.

Reinhard himself was having a hard time trying to remain serious, as his lesson was essentially tearing down everything that Puck told her prior, but at least she knew that he lied to her to protect her… At this age in her mentality, she was supposed to be taught this anyways, but now she knows the truth.

And the truth was very hard to take in. Halfway through the lesson she additionally requested to know how children are born, which Puck nearly froze the room over multiple times to prevent, it was highly amusing… For Subaru, who was also attending. Surprisingly enough, he actually learned a few things himself in it, even though he thought he knew how it all worked, at least in the modern era, what he knew was more than enough to pass sex ed in school.

He was almost inclined to cover Emilia's eyes himself as she covered her face, leaving only small slits for her to see the sketches through, but it eventually ended with him wanting to die of both embarrassment and hilarity, it was too funny to see her reaction, so funny it was almost sad.

Directly after the lesson she looked to Puck with a pouty face, making him drop to the ground obviously overwhelmed with regret, then to Subaru who only offered a light understanding smile. Her face was light crimson through and through, and would stay that way four hours on end… Just thinking about what she just learned, that she would come to do that with the one in front of her right now, it was overwhelming, and embarrassing for the most part at the moment.

Now that she knew what marriage entails, she wondered if she did want to marry Subaru. She thought about that for a long time in silence, sitting there in her chair, staring at Subaru for the longest time.

Thought, she thought a lot of things. She came to the conclusion that, out of anyone, she wouldn't mind doing that with him. But, she lacked confidence, courage, and the feelings to do that. She could say 'I love Subaru' but it would have a similar meaning to her saying 'I love Puck' as it would be more… Familiarity related, rather than attraction.

But having just learned about sex and relationships, she could not differentiate 'love' at face value. By what she learned, she could also, to some degree, differentiate the 'wants' to stay with someone, but still…

"You'll… You'll help me learn this stuff, r-right?" she asked, leaving his mind in shock. 'What did she just ask me? What did she just ask me?! Oh my god what do… I ... ' "haaaa?"

You could hear Puck literally force his head through a chair, which he literally did. Neither of them stopped looking at each other though, their eyes were locked in place with each other staring into the other's soul. Reinhard watched as Puck pulled himself out and plunged in at a new spot, he was dying right now, the poor great spirit…

Volumes of information was being transferred during that soul gazing. 'Help me understand… the kind of love you feel for me, so I can love you too.' was what she meant. She couldn't say that aloud, no… She would faint if she did, so she said it through her gaze.

"Yes. I'll help you, Emilia tan." he smiled to her, and she smiled back… Then, you could finally hear both of their hearts beating crazily. They blinked, and then passed out.

"UWAAAAAH!" puck screamed, growing a bit and tearing the chair in two, he took another one and started destroying it and breaking up the pieces and he kept yelling, leaving the sword saint just to observe.

'Well, that ended better than I expected.' he thought, a small smile on his face. He took the two fainted ones to their rooms, and set them to sleep.

That room was destroyed beyond repair that day. The door was taken off and simple sheet wood was put up to cover the damage. Inside was a small wooden monument that Reinhard made. It read "May this room rest in peace, for its valiant defense and subsequent destruction on the day that Emilia sama was taught about relationships and conception."

 **.**

 **I noticed something- I never write out Roswaal's speech pattern, even though when I read it, I stretch it out in my head. Does it confuse you guys? If so, PM me or review and tell my if I should change that. also, see you in like a day or two with the next update!**

.

No, I didn't forget this!

[MNR] "Well, i'm back from the dead now, guys."

[King Sub] "I was actually starting to enjoy being dead, but then you updated Knight last week, then started writing on me too. Aah, while it's kinda weird for you, ya know… Emilia shipping and all, I am starting to like it."

[Knight Sub] "Oo, you should add EoC Discussions to me as well, so, ya know, we can talk even more? Make sure you don't die again?"

[RED] "I support this. Come on man, season two and the english dub are confirmed, you can't die on me again, or i'll kill you."

[MNR] "ooh, so scared, Red. Anyways, sure. I'll add EoC-D to you, knight. Amd yeah, i'm excited for the dub and season two. Once I have a working PC again, you can count on me having totally legal copies of them both, 100%"

[Reviewr] "Totally legal, or totally stolen? Anyhow, it's good to have you back. What next? Another king chapter? What about that one with you in it?"

[Red] "I want you to kill that one, the MC aint subaru so it doesn't deserve to live"

[MNR] "No Red, it stays. It'll be my personal 'suffering' baby, just you wait and see. The suffering in it will be real, man… The suffering will be real…"

[Richard] "Since i'm you, I know what happens, but my character don't. Why you're going for that in the story is just weird. I'm going to be like Roswaal by the end of it, god damn it…"

[Reviewr] "Serious? Like Roswaal?"

[MNR] "Yep, but we already went way past what we should be allowed to say. Goodbye guys!"

[All] "Bye!"


	5. Short: Love & Joy

Short Chapter, Love & Joy

Two weeks and three days later. Morning. Subaru just woke up, stretching in his room. He was pretty happy, today was a day off for him, and he was going to be giving Emilia something he made himself, using a skill he acquired back in his world.

"It looks… Almost perfect, and.. Tada! She'll love it!" he declared to himself, eyeing the masterful work he accomplished. He decided that he would give it to her in just a bit, when he knows she's fully awake.

"Is that supposed to be Bubby, I wonder?" Beatrice's voice erupted from his bed, sounding quite interested. "Well, as much as it can be. It's been a while since i tried my hand at the art of paper folding, Origami. So I figured, hey, why not Puck? That should raise his spirits as well, ya know?"

He thoughtfully answered her, as she got up to inspect the thing sitting on the table before her. "Wow, it is just like bubby, and it is only paper… I demand to know how you made this right now, in fact!" her eyes sparkled as she made that demand, she would enjoy the sweet feeling if giving her kind of brother a gift.

"I would, but you'd forget. I showed Reinhard yesterday, so you should have him show you, so I don't get yelled at when you mess up what I told you to do." he said, he was in the middle of getting dressed in casual attire.

"Yes, I suppose thats- you just insulted Betty, in fact! Why should I listen to you anyways? All you say is have redhead teach you!" she yelled at him, but instantly quieted down when he patted her head. "That's because it's true. Redhead does these things better, so learning it from him prevents mistakes. Alright?" "Mhmhhh… okay."

So, he successfully consoled the great spirit once more. "Then again, why have you been here the past two weeks? Do you want me to contract you or something?" he looked her in the eyes, and while she didn't respond, there was a twinkle he saw that agreed with what he said.

"Well that's a surprise… are you sure?" he asked, still staring deeply into what you could literally call her soul, flickering deep within her butterfly irises. She slowly started to nod, giving way to weak willpower. "Alright, here… I know contracts need physical contact to work, so it's not much different." he offered her his open hand, which she timidly place her own within. It closed, and she began to breathe heavily for what she was about to do.

"Betty thinks this is overly dumb, why am I even doing this.." she said, then shook her head. "Will you take Betty out of that accursed library, and make her your own?" she asked, her hands glowing bright as they held his. "Well i dunno… Having such an annoying person around all the time…" she looked honestly hurt by that.

"I'm just kidding! Sheesh, Beako… yes, yes I would. I know it sucks in there, and you gotta watch it for whatever dumb reason." he answered. While she smiled to that, it did bug her. This wasn't what her mother told her. But, she came to know… It was a lie, she came to know this after the one before her and the sword saint showed up.

So now she was here, willingly contracting herself to maybe the only person that cares about her as much as Bubby does. She looked on the past four centuries in disdain, all of it was wasted… But, maybe, it could be worth it… In the care of Natsuki Subaru.

"While I can't ask to be your number one, I ask that you hold me highly in your heart. Will you do that?" she asked. "You're already the top of the list in one of my pages, most troublesome kid ever. Also, most troublesome loli ever. And I see you everyday, so I kinda doubt you'd be losing your concrete position ever, Beako."

While no it wasn't that great to hear, she accepted it. "Then, I am now your contracted spirit."

Somehow he could physically feel that, and he could tell that he did have a contract with this girl. Why it was happening now of all times… Maybe it was just her tipping point, to finally yield to the man she sees as a… Companion, even if all they do is fight each other with words.

"There ain't anything like starting off a day with contracting a great spirit. Seriously now, it'll make me feel as though my gift to Emilia tan isn't anything more than colored paper!" he exclaimed, then a shoe his his head from behind. "You're acting like contracting a great spirit isn't a big deal, I suppose!" she yelled at him, picking up the other shoe.

"Well, it just happened, so i'm guessing it isn't a big deal after all huh? Aye! Stop throwing things!" which wouldn't happen. "Alright, fine, yes contracting great spirits is like a once in a lifetime thing and all that." he said, patting her head. "Good."

* * *

He made it out if his room, and waited patiently outside hers, knowing that she would be coming out soon.

And soon it was. She wore something he was surprised to see her in, that pink airy dress that had cut off shoulders and the fabric that begins a little over where her breasts are. She hadn't worn that since she knew what that showed off, but here she was wearing it now. He just was stunned, absorbing her beauty as she was still herself, her face reddening from the silence… And the fact that he was staring.

"The paper, I suppose." Beatrice pulled his sleeve, bringing him back to reality. "Oh right… Here, I made this for you last night." he handed her the thing he was hiding, and she accepted it with wonder, until she really looked at it.

'He made this himself?' she wondered, and found herself very happy with it. What she did next may have been impulse or maybe her excitement, but she moved to kiss him.

*ckink* it wasn't a pleasant sound, the sound of teeth colliding. Either way you look at it, that was a kiss, and she immediately found herself in her room with a fast beating heart and the slight feeling of pain in her head, but it was overwhelmed by this fuzzy feeling… However slight it was it took immediate precedence over all else. It was worth it, she thinks.

As for Subaru, he was standing there speechless as the pain subsided, in her quick getaway she hit his forehead with the door. 'She just?' "Aaah.. " "So we're going to stay here until she come out, I wonder?" "Yep." "Ugh…"

* * *

They stayed there for only ten minutes, Emilia bashfully exiting the room and finding out that she hit him with the door on the way out, and was pleasantly surprised to hear that Beatrice contracted him this morning.

Puck was still more or less mopey in his crystal, and seeing his daughter kiss Subaru like that only felt worse, but he was already forgiven for lying to her previously, it was just up to him to come out and be himself again.

Little did they know, a certain blue haired maid watched the whole ordeal, and silently sighed around a corner.

They made their way outside to the gazebo, sitting on the grass in its shadow. They mostly talked about past events and speculation of future ones, but both knew that what happened earlier was the start of something new… Emilia awakened a piece of herself that was dormant since she was frozen. And, she would pursue it.

She knew it was something that was slowly starting to emerge, if she tried right now she doubts that fuzzy feeling would become present… only embarrassment on her own part.

So, she waited until it came back…

* * *

Three days later, that moment happened. While it was no different than a normal day, his shenanigans made it so that she was giving him a lap pillow of sorts, it was mostly her idea as well.

He was going to lay on the ground to watch the starry night sky, to point out the new constellation she learned about from Reinhard or even traced himself, and while she went with him, she offered him something comfortable to rest his head on.

He didn't know it would be her lap, but it was… And you could see even through the night that he was nervous about it, as the more he noticed, she was wearing night clothes, and her actions were getting to be a lot more bold, as is with this. She had short stalkings on, probably just a mistake, but for him it was heaven, her silky smooth skin bare and shining in the moonlight.

'I have to get up o-or I might just lose control here…' he thought, and quickly rose to his feet, his face red with small beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He was breathing a bit ragged, but silently nonetheless…

Emilia felt a bit of loss when he removed himself from there, and stood up with him as well… she took his hand, and it seemed he didn't notice, and that was when her heart started pounding, the fuzzy feeling returning to her once again, it urged her to do something.

His gaze was at nothing until it was moved for him, his face held firmly yet gently by her hands, his gaze was fixed to her and when she came close he closed his eyes just like she did afterwards, and felt the unimaginable heat that was a kiss…

There wasn't and teeth clattering, no obstacles in the way and nowhere for either of them to run, so instinctively he moved his hands to her waist and pulled her in closer, and she wrapped her arms around his neck as well…

The feeling of ecstasy is mutual, and only when they both ran out if breath did they seperate. They were both left panting as a thin line of saliva dissolved between them, a last note of what occured. "I…" she started. "..." he was silent. While they were not able to talk, they simply hugged, twirling about the field for a while until falling over, and staring up into the night sky, hand in hand, heart in heart…

Love begins true, in the milky way of stars...

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	6. Chapter 4 old

Chapter 4, King Of The Castle.

Two days prior to their trip, it was determined that they would go via carriage through a rift that would put them right at the Astrea mansion's front lawn, which Reinhard took the liberty of actually informing the people there not to freak out when a carriage suddenly appears out of nowhere.

Having that in mind, Subaru did make an offhand comment about 'a carriage flying through the sky, above the capital streets' that raised some rather interesting dialogue with Roswaal speculating that, as a fun thing to do on the couple's wedding day, would be just that.

Beyond the potential shenanigans at hand, everything was rather great. Subaru finished his literacy lessons and absorbed most all of the history that Reinhard believed was essential, and so now it was on to actually gaining first hand experience with maintaining land and people. Roswaal's job, really.

Now, this was a surprise to both Subaru and Reinhard. Roswaal never actually had Emilia try this sort of thing, so now she was also apart of this maintaining and such, and progressively joined in most of the other things Subaru was still doing.

It didn't bother him or Reinhard at all, though it seemed to bother Puck to a small extent, and Roswaal mostly didn't try to make any comment on it… Oddly enough, since it was his lands that they were toying with.

So, spending time either on swordsmanship or magic, usually was also spent with Emilia. All sorts of fun for the two, though public displays of affection between two individuals that aren't exactly bold in that regard is most expected.

Another new occurrence is Beatrice actually referring to some people by name, mostly the people she is closest to… Which, only consisted of Subaru, Emilia and Reinhard - though she calls him Astrea.

So, this brings us to today. Reinhard was taking Emilia and Subaru to the dressing room, and apparently it also concerned Beatrice. Roswaal was off somewhere else, presumably preparing something in the capital.

* * *

"So, what is it we're supposed to see, I wonder?" Asked Beatrice, the one who, with her use of the full array of dark magic, should know entirely about. "Well, I can't guarantee that any of you will like it, but I do ask that you keep an open opinion." Reinhard replies, keeping them in the dark.

"Well if it's you that did it, which I assume you did do something… Ah, i'd imagine it'll be something we like, even if shocking. Eh, am I right, Emilia tan?" walking hand in hand, she was quick to agree. "I wasn't so sure at first, but it's become rather fun, anything we do is fun, especially together."

Cheerful, the two were at most times now. "Anyways, being disappointed in you is pretty hard to even think possible, you've practically raised me a second time over much like my parents. And, you're too kind to boot. Thanks, for everything, Reinhard. Even if that's the second or third dozenth time i've said it."

Appreciation has no end for him, even when not in the capital, he can't escape praise, even from the ones he's dedicated to. "Thank you for the praise, but it is my duty to keep both of you well, though I do admit that some of the things I do are… More than what even you both ask or want."

And getting to the dressing room as he finished saying this, he opened the door for the three to see what waited for them.

Spectacle indeed, delicacy and quality written all over it, what stood on display mannequins before them was certainly the work of no other than Reinhard, or someone with the divine protections of Sewmaster and Artisan's Touch.

To give you a visual idea, think of three matching outfits for all three of them, Subaru, Emilia and Beatrice. The primary colors being bold white, secondary nearly mirror like silver, and for extra effect, interwoven on the silver secondary areas, golden accents that gave it the air of none other than, the Royal Family.

"Aah.." Subaru was taken. "Umm.." Emilia was taken. "It… It's perfect, I suppose!" Beatrice voiced their thoughts all in one loud outburst, as she quickly made her way up to her own dress, a mirror image in different colors to her own. It even had the small bits that tied her hair together as well, and undoubtedly they were made with the highest quality materials available not just in Lugunica, but the known world. That is how meticulous Reinhard is.

"I don't even want to know how much it costed, Reinhard. You outdone yourself hard here. And I love you for it." Now, both of the couple have said this before, saying 'love' here didn't sound weird, nor held any of the words meaning when speaking to each other.

Meanwhile, Emilia doted over her own dress, her eyes wide as she marveled over it and her fiance's own uniform. "How… How long did it take you to do this, Reinhard? I can't imagine your hands are feeling well after so much work!" she exclaimed, and he chuckled. "Well, this set has been the most difficult thing for me to out together so far. I am thrilled that you like it, Emilia sama." he answered.

"Though, Reinhard, what's that over there?" Subaru pointed off towards the other end if the room, where a stack of clothes that also seemed to be similar sat, neatly stacked high as it was clear that there were many, many sets there… And they were clearly sets, each layer had a slightly different appearance.

"Aah… I was hoping you wouldn't notice, but… Those were the other ones I crafted, not as well as these ones, mostly as tests and spares should these be damaged. I… Hope that doesn't happen, but now that they're made, replacing them shouldn't be too much an issue."

Even the Sword Saint has to practice to get things perfect, after all. "I feel like i've got to command you to just take a break for once man, but even then you'll find something to do." a true statement by Subaru, and Reinhard couldn't deny that.

"Yes, I would. Though in the next week only more things will have to be done, especially concerning your decision, and announcements for the opening ceremony for the Royal Selection. These were meant specifically for that, as well."

Appearance and delivery matter immensely at these kinds of things, as Reinhard has already informed the both of them about. Looking the part as king and queen, and delivering speeches according to their future roles, would carry a massive amount of significance both here and down the road, and ensuring the nobles are in their field would be of great importance down the road, especially when dealing with individuals such as Anastasia Hoshin, they need all the help they can get to keep an edge against someone with eyes and ears, literally everywhere.

And they were also prepared for a few things already. They would actually have to remain a bit friendly with the Hoshin group, for many reasons related to that information network that is the trading giant named 'Hoshin Trading Company' and to acquire a vast amount of Metia for future use, and some immediate.

The couple nod, knowing what was to await them in the capital.

"Well… while i'm a little disappointed in not being able to wear this all the time, if it is for impressing a bunch of stupid influential people… I suppose I can wait if you are as well, in fact." Beatrice huffed, backing away from her mirrored dress.

"Ooh, Lia would look wonderful in this! Reinhard, you made this?" it seemed that Puck just woke up, or maybe he was wondering what all the talking was outside his crystal. "Yes, Puck. Though, now that you're here, could I ask that you change your appearance? Into a lion, preferably."

The others were a bit surprised by this. Puck never really changed his size or appearance save that one time in the capital by request if Emilia on Subaru's very first life in the capital, never once did it occur that he was actually capable of doing that again.

Puck seemed to be in thought until a rather pleased smile found itself on his tiny kitten like face. "I see where you're going with this, and I like the idea. I'm a bit rusty, so give me a bit." he said, and floated over to a more open bit of floor. He made small 'calisthenics' movements there, getting a giggle out of Emilia and a smile from Subaru, and then started glowing, and slowly changing in size, completely veiled by light.

The end result was a little wonky. "Hmm.. Well, I don't like slandering myself, but I don't look good at all." Puck had the same cute voice as usual, a bit hilarious coming from such a large cat. "Question though, do spirits gain weights based on their size? I don't think that was ever said, I can't recall anything about it."

And in an instant Subaru found himself almost falling over due to a very heavy paw on his shoulder, though it was still coated in a bit blinding light as Puck was again changing. "Yes, it's much like the transformation of a demihuman that has those kinds of abilities." he said. "While being crushed is a scary thought, thanks for saying so."

* * *

It was another ten minutes of changing shape until the desired appearance was gained, a silver lion that stood on all fours the height of Emilia's neckline, with proportionate length as well. Adorned with a sleek and silver maine, he truly looked the part as a great spirit now.

Beatrice immediately threw herself at him though, he was no less comfortable to cuddle now, maybe just a little less soft at most. Eventually this led to the continuation of swordsmanship training while Beatrice happily rode the lion all around both the mansion grounds and through the village, which did startle many of them there. It's not every day you see such a giant being unless it's a ground dragon or Riger, things that aren't mabeasts.

Now to explain a bit about the two's ideas, they grew them since the time they finally could be called a couple.

Subaru learned a lot about Lugunica and its current state of affairs, it was rather unstable and a bit weak for a nation of its size and power, while it could easily win a war, it would certainly be left crippled… Possibly to the point of collapse. And in the past seven months it was noted that they almost got into war with the Holy Empire of Vollachia, through an attempted coup in the nation. If it wasn't for Reinhard's visit, there would have not been a non aggression pact formed.

And then there was the Imperial Knights, the nation's own crown military of sorts, the only guys that aren't controlled specifically by individual nobles as mercenaries or guards, and typically were much better trained and equipped. They numbered four divisions, each five hundred men strong. To thousand people serving in a nation of around ten to eleven million people in size, that wasn't very much at all. This also made it so that the crown would have to pay the nobility for use of their personal forces, and even then they would have less control over them in actual battle than you'd wish, in all regards… This system is horribly inefficient, so expanding the Imperial Knights, and establishing the Lugunican's People's Army, interweaving the chains of command and establishing modern structure, equipping commanders with conversational metia and the like, would all serve great importance in a war.

This is where most of the need for Metias, and strong ties with the Hoshin company come from. They would inevitably be a crucial asset for the militaristic restructuring of the nation.

As for internal stability, well this comes from a number of places. Firstly, there is already established public networks that manage things in a crisis, but having to rely on 'in person' dialogue to communicate things is too slow to allow proper preparation for things, so Metia also played a large role here as well. And it wouldn't hurt to expand and revise a few of these already established systems, it would serve a great use for the public in very short time.

And the other main causes of instability are the long since ignored 'living natural disasters' numbered three, the White Whale, the Great Hare, and the Blacksnake. Why none of them were killed over the past four centuries is unknown, but Subaru wants it done now. At the hands of the sword saint, or the hands of his army, those threats would be eliminated once and for all.

But the scourges of the earth were not the worst of it. The Witches Cult, allowed to reign terror on the world for a far shorter amount if time, at least when you look at the history there used to be a quiet sect of it, but now it is all radical. It has existed for as long as the demon beasts have, and has been violent since then as well, slowly the quiet peaceful sect dwindled until it up and died completely, leaving the entirely terroristic organization in place. It was also a target, and would bring a welcome change to not just Lgunica, but the world.

This summed up many of the main issues for Subaru, his others were very similar, if not the same as Emilia's.

For her shorter learning experience, she decided that she doesn't want to have anything to do with the military, she knows that stuff like this is more for Subaru anyways… being gentle natured, even though she has had a large amount of hardships herself, doesn't much want to be involved in what would result in deaths… Even if it does save more, war isn't for her.

As it is, the nation faces a huge disparity between nobles and peasants, but that isn't the issue. The issue, is that peasants are usually kept down below everyone else, they aren't much able to make a living and more and more are moving into the ever expanding slums that makes up huge parts of the large cities, where they can't find jobs or are set into an unhealthy mindset.

To stave this would be to relocate small amounts of them elsewhere in smaller towns, decentralization of the masses and spreading them out to the smaller communities, and to decrease unemployment amongst the population. While simple in theory, in application it is far more difficult, but possible.

Next on the list is the divide leftover from the Demihuman war, social injustice that even today still exists and is a prominent issue within the nation. Public distrust and hatred to a distant yet deep level remains between humans and demihumans, and in no small part is this also influenced by the hatred if the Witch as well, half elves being amongst the most discriminated against, even by other demihumans.

Hand in hand with the announcements that would be delivered at the opening ceremony if the Royal Selection, their speeches should, given any actual progress afterwards, carry extremely well with the people. It was both tactically and strategically advantageous, so much so that they would have a very sharp edge against the opposing candidates.

* * *

Later that day, Reinhard had informed them that he would have to be present at the capital beforehand to prepare a few things, and because his presence was required to communicate with Captain Marcos about the news. It would be that only the Imperial Guard would know of Subaru's existence, or rather only the Royal Guard division, the higher ups at that.

So this left the two with the company of only Rem and Beatrice, since Ram was off with Roswaal, wherever he was… and it was relatively quiet, mostly they sat and played around using magic.

Looking at his for fun displays now, Subaru realized that… If he was this far back when the Ulgarm incident happened, it would have been no issue to just kill all of the dogs and rift back.

It proves how far he's come, though. And he did enjoy the special treated from Emilia and Rem at the time, while it may sound like a jerk thing to do, capitalizing on the cute goodwill of the girls that would do so. Yes, an otaku's dream for certain, who wouldn't capitalize? It's pretty hard not to, especially when they insist upon it. Another reason to do so, anyways.

"Instead of reminiscing of when you were babied by them, could you come back to reality, I wonder?" Beatrice shot at him, right in front if the two. And quickly getting flustered because what she said was full out true, and for the girls.. They wouldn't blame him, they knew very well that they were doing that.

"Alright Beako, stop harassing Subaru and enjoy the snow." Emilia more or less killed the loli's attack, much like a few other conversations over the past week. And Emilia started calling her Beako after Subaru, sAnthere was that as well.

She huffed and laid back in the grass, looking up to the white covered sky. A display of snow from Puck and Emilia herself, it only covered a small area but it was real snow nonetheless.

A short period of calm, in the fray of learning and preparation. Welcome for them, it would only be a temporary calm before the storm.

* * *

Arriving at the Astrea mansion proved to be a bit more of an experience than one could have expected. Lavish was the style of Roswaal, lavish upon lavish was the style of this castle, wherein just having exited the rift here, the massive welcoming party was extreme… for them, at least, since this kind of welcoming was hardly what _could_ have been.

Stepping out of the carriage, Subaru just looked on at the dozens of maids seemingly idle and waiting for command, front and center of them all was a man much like Reinhard, hair red and blue eyes, a scruffy stubble beard and appearance of almost brutish nature, he did appear strong as one could think, and he was also in what could be thought of as leather battle armor.

The man grinned and walked up to Subaru, the height difference becoming very clear as he approached. He spread his arms wide in a grand fashion, until stopping a few steps in front of Subaru. "Welcome to my abode, I am Heinkel Astrea, at your service."

Other than a smooth delivery of words, this guy was no stranger to boasting. This man was the one that owns all of the Astrea lands everywhere, even if Reinhard is the rightful heir as Sword Saint.

Emilia and Roswaal soon joined Subaru as he looked around, it seemed this was all set up just for their arrival. Still, he knows Reinhard doesn't have that great a standing with this man, so that would be why he isn't here, among other things.

"Thanks for having us here, Heinkel san. I hope it's not a bother for you." Emilia said, bringing his attention to her. "It's not an issue at all, Emilia sama. Make yourselves at home!" with that he twisted around, motioning to the front door… If it could be called that, it was the front entrance to the castle that was the Astrea mansion.

Having not gotten to really say what his name was, it was almost as if Heinkel didn't know Subaru existed. He did disappear nearly instantly too, right after a short period of accompanying their tour of the place.

"What's with Heikel?" Subaru asked, and one of the maids suddenly was right next to him. "Heinkel sama is not as… Caring, as Reinhard Sama. Asking him about it would, unfortunately, lead only to discourse, Subaru sama."

He scratched head. "Alright, so then… About the building, when it was first built, was it under the assumption that the Astrea family would rule their own nation? Or is it just design?" Subaru asked. The maid seemed to ponder it. "White it was built back then,I don't think that Reid was thinking of ruling his own nation, Subaru sama." Roswaal answered, making the maid sigh in relief to the question she couldn't much answer.

Beatrice was mostly silent, her look was sour as she saw more of the place. It wasn't like the mansion, this place had high ceilings everywhere, maids everywhere, loads of useless decoration, but… It was dwelling in her mind that she may have to just get used to this kind of stuff.

Well, the tour lasted quite a long time, ending in the vast gardens if the Astrea estate. The place was four centuries old, and looked as though it was built yesterday. That was how it was. And, that was probably how it would be for a long, long time.

* * *

Dinner was served in their rooms, Subaru and Emilia were bunched together because of their legal status, an unintentional tease to the both of them that they would be sleeping in the same bed, even though it would be simple enough to just ask for an extra room.

The two ate in awkward silence on the bed while their spirits were already sleeping soundly, Puck in Emilia's crystal that was tightly held in Beatrice's hands in the next room over. And Roswaal was in the room next to that. Rem, being the only maid to come with, next to that one. They were entirely alone.

At least each room had a full bath connected, a plus… Though for the two, maybe it made it worse.. At least for their imaginations, tomorrow was very important… would getting worried over something so trivial now ruin their day tomorrow? Probably not, so when Emilia left to change into night clothes, it was pretty much sealed that it was going to be a bit weird, having to sleep next to each other when they were not at that point yet. Though, being bold and moving forward might be the smart choice.

Slowly opening the door she came in, the cool air flowing from the window tickling her exposed skin lightly as she came to the bed. And seeing her fiance try his best to look away for her privacy of all things, it was hard on her. "Subaru?" she called, and he then turned his gaze to her face, trying not to let his eyes travel down to see her light pink nightgown, and entirely barren legs up to her thighs.

"y-yes?" he answered, sounding a bit worked up. Of course he was, in this situation she fully understands why he would be. She sunk down onto the bed next to him, and breathed in a bit if air. "Is it time to.. Get used to this?" she asked him, her amethyst orvs reflecting his own gaze back at him. How should he answer that? He wanted to just answer 'yes' and move along with it, but comfortability and trust is something he believed to be something to have in relationships. So, he answered as such.

"I'm eager for it, but it's just me being greedy. Aah.. We can do whatever you want to, Emilia tan. Be it twenty years, i'll still be waiting for your decision." being outrageous in claims, he gained a smile from her. "Well, I.. I'm comfortable enough now, so…"

So, she ushered him to change himself and then they would go to sleep, in attempts to gain confidence and eliminate the need for separate rooms.

* * *

The morning was a bit hectic, maids bustling about everywhere as the two and Roswaal waited for Beatrice to change into her own mew dress, and eventually she finally came out to be berated by Subaru, as expected. Eventually they were waved off by half a dozen maids and Heinkel himself, oddly the vice-captain of the Royal Guard was not going to be present at the ceremony.

The trip up to the royal castle was dazzling, the place was certainly a lot bigger than the Astrea one, it was placed right in the direct center of the capital city, atop a plateau with nothing but itself and vast virgin land outwards towards the edge of the nobility district, with very few high nobles homes and various employee facilities in between the actual city edge and the castle.

In short, it would be very difficult to reach the castle by any means without being stopped, and even more so to damage it with how many measures are put in place to prevent such a thing from happening. Subaru could easily see portions of the empty land becoming useful for more than just being a buffer between the city and the castle.

When they made it to the end, it was just a swarm of people conversing here and there, many moving to enter the castle. None paid them attention until they formed proper, Puck turning himself into the silver lion to look the part. Roswaal was enthused with this, with him being the only one not blending in with the royal looking couple and their spirits, it seemed as though he was chatting with the king and queen.

With this display brought many small gasps and stunned silence, some people even started wondering if one of the royal family was standing before them, it didn't even occur that Emilia was a half elf they were so dazzled by the sight.

Making their way up the lawn and into the building, avoiding the now growing crowd of nobles following them in great interest, ven some knights having to blink twice to believe what they were seeing. 'Is that…' pangs of seeing dead royal family members, other than his hair and eyes he was a perfect candidate ti be one.

"what's all the commotion about, Ferris?" Crusch was a bit further down the hall, and the two looked back to see a crowd of nobles surrounding someone, or a group, she could see a few glimpses of silver, but that was it.

"Umyo? Sorry Crusch sama, I dyon't know. Pyrhaps something nyew?" he said. His ears twitched, and as the crowd neared they could hear the jumbled words, then… "What is this, commoners? Part way, your queen demands to know what has you all so loud today."

A woman dressed in a black and blood red dress demanded, silencing the nobles and halting the procession. This woman was named Priscilla Barielle. And Crusch finally got to see what all the fuss was about.

Apart from this being a standoff, the couple and their spirits kept their heads and appearance while Priscilla waltzed up to them, her own head held high with self assurance. Well, two can play at that game.

"A nobody and a half elf. This is what you commoners were riled up about? Typical, even when you're raving it isn't worth my time." she said, turning around and heading away.

"Too bad, Priscilla. Talking down upon those level with yourself doesn't get you very far, even with extreme luck, winning an election takes a lot more than being self entitled and a massive superiority complex."

Tension was high, the nobles stood silently as they just heard an insult thrown at Priscilla of all people. Crusch looked on in interest, this could get ugly.

She stopped, insults towards her was unthinkable. In a second she was at his throat, at least she would have been. What was displayed was so impossible that it shocked the onlookers. Her arm through a rift and it extending with her fan opened and glowing brightly right at the back of her head, if she attacked just then, she would have died at her own hands.

She looked in disbelief at the back of her own head, and could feel it as well. That was real, entirely. "Don't insult people if you don't want to be insulted back." he called out, and then tugged on Emilia's hand. They moved around the stock still girl and continued forwarstolike nothing even happened.

"Crusch sama?" Felix called to her, bringing her out if the small trance she was in. It seemed that everyone was just shocked at what just happened, and what is still being seen. "I don't know what to think of that, Ferris." and he nodded in agreement.

Soon it cleared out and Priscilla was tugged out of her own shock by Al, who was mostly silent through it all. What it entailed, was that she just ruined her own image… All because of a man that talked back.

* * *

Inside the chamber they finally found Reinhard. "Welp, we're here. You missed Priscilla's… Outburst, but I think it went well." Subaru opened to him, as he came to them. "So that's what the commotion was, I thought the guards were being deployed for something. Glad to hear things worked out, Subaru sama."

Now talking with Reinhard, they relaxed a bit. They made a pretty good impression on their way to this room, no additional thanks to Priscilla being set up on herself. It seems the only one not aware of what happened was Anastasia.

Well, it was now time for the ceremony to start. The nobles could only wonder who the man was that stood with Emilia, who stands with the other candidates, and the candidates were also curious, but his being up there could either mean that he thinks that his relationship with Emilia means entitlement, or he was in fact a candidate himself. Crusch was leaning towards that, much against what Felix had suggested the meeting could be for.

Quickly silence befell the room as Captain Marcos cleared his throat, glancing over the candidates once before starting. "Now, if I may be so forward, I, Marcos, leader of the Imperial Knights, will direct today's proceedings. It all happened half a year ago, when members of the Royal Family, starting with the king, went into hiding one by one, leading to-"

Now usually Anastasia would be the one to cut off Captain Marcos, but this time was different. It was Crusch. "Excuse me." she said. She turned to the two to her right, specifically Subaru, who was right next to her. "Is this man a royal candidate?" she asked, and soon would receive an answer.

"I'd like to know as well, this sure isn't a wedding and that was some entrance there." Anastasia added, though unaware of what he did to Priscilla. Having hundreds of eyes suddenly concentrate on you is a bit exhilarating, luckily he's trained for this. The villagers of Arlam prepared him for stuff like this, even if they don't know it.

One of the sage council members stood, it seemed they would have to just skip over the introduction to the Royal Selection, and get right to the point.

"To answer your questions, the reason why you qualified to be the dragon priestess were summoned, is because a new prophecy has been engraved on the dragonstone. It reads, 'From the five capable of becoming the nation's new leader, choose one Priestess or the Priest, to enter into a covenant with the Dragon.'" he said.

Next, another voice cut in. "So that man is the Dragon Priest? Regardless of who he's married to, make him king and call it finished!" a noble called out, and then some rapturous murmurs came from the nobles around him, it seemed they were all on board with it… Most of them, at least.

"Knight Reinhard Van Astrea, if you would?" Marcos called out, over the loud voices. "Yes sir."

Reinhard stepped to the center of the room, right in front if the candidates. "Honored members of the Council of Wise Men, I, Reinhard Van Astrea, would like to announce the completion of my mission. The Dragon Priest has been found, and stands before you now."

He walked up to Subaru, gesturing at him. "The one I personally revere as king, his name, is Natsuki Subaru sama." he said. "Thanks for the intro, but there is one last step, proving it, eh?" That there was, and Reinhard nodded. He pulled an object out of his pocket, an insignia. _"Hand please."_ telepathy, such a saver.

So, he placed it in his hand for all to see, and it began glowing brilliantly, the ruby shining bright in his hand. "As you can see, the dragon gem has recognized Subaru sama as the Priest. Now that his participation has been approved, I believe it is time to begin the selection in earnest."

With this the knights all put their hands to their hearts, all but those dedicated to candidates. It was a grand display, that was a form of salute, as well. Dedication to King and Country, with heart and soul, that was their job.

"Knight Reinhard, would you begin by explaining to us what led to his discovery?" Mikotov asked, the eldest member of the sage council. The room went dead silent when he spoke, even though the nobles were roudy, they respected the old man's word.

"It was most entirely by chance, between the third and second districts is where we first met. This led to a bit if an adventure that ended in the slums, wherein that time, I found the truth about his acceptance by the dragon gem." he answered.

"So he is a simple commoner?" Priscilla asked. "Where I come from, i'd sit comfortably in the middle class. Not rich, not poor, and a significant bit better than normal. Summed up, not spoiled, but not hardened either." Subaru actually answered her question.

A silence ensued, seems that nobody else wanted to ask questions. Maybe they would afterwards? Anyways, Marcos spoke again. "Then, Royal Selection Candidates, please come forth."

Now it was nearing the end. The candidates came forward, their knights and attendants standing with them. Of the four groups, theirs stood out the most, as expected of what all was prepared for this event. They were the ones prepared, they were the ones with the most potential gain. They would capitalize on it.

Who was called upon first was none other than Priscilla, the universe has funny ways of punishing people, and this ironic instance was one of them. Being humiliated by having her threat be turned against her, added to the comment Subaru gave her before just walking away, for the entire nobility that saw, she had no speech, if she acts high and pompous here she'll ruin her image further for the nobility, it really was horrid what Subaru did to her… Why did she have to insult, why wasn't her luck working? Well, there is a simple reason to that.

Luck predetermined by whatever universal entity bestows itself upon Priscilla, and through the form of Divine Protections towards Reinhard, can it negate something not from the world it resides in? Probably it most certainly does, but in the circumstance… Perhaps not.

"Priscilla Barielle sama and her attendant, Al." the two walked up on cue, and faced the crowd. Priscilla stared daggers into Subaru as he smiled devilishly back at her. Emilia had an understanding soft smile as well, knowing just how badly Priscilla, queen bitch of Lugunica, just ate it.

Not having an easy out, she just had to go with what she had. She is lucky to no end, she already controls a large portion of land, it really doesn't matter what she choses, it will be right. But, being pompous now, it would only hurt… Her heart was on fire with rage, that she actually has to worry and think about the consequences of her actions? Blasphemy, she wants to kill the one who did this to her, though knows she is entirely incapable of doing so…

"I'm no stranger to management, be my choice good or bad, it always ends well in the end. Take example from what I control; lend me ownership of yourselves, and your lives will undoubtedly prosper. That alone cannot be denied, just look and see, and let your doubt be cast aside."

Managing an actually okay speech was unexpected of her, even if a bit of her pompousness came out, it wasn't too bad… Perhaps she may even gain from it, or at least recover a little bit.

Next, it seemed Crusch was up. "Head of the Karsten family, Crusch Karsten sama, and her attendant, the Knight Felix Argyle." so, the militarist and 'Blue' went onto the stage.

"Should I become the new ruler, I will make the Dragon forget the covenant it demanded. The Dragon's Empire of Lugunica belongs not to the Dragon, but to us." she said, and there was a definitive campaign promise. She promises the elimination of the Covenant, the thing that ties the dragon to Lugunica and vice versa. Perhaps it's not that bad of an idea, since the dragon hasn't really done much for the past four centuries…

Rolecall! Actually, Subaru and Emilia already know the calling order. They would be last due to the nature of their claims and announcements, and directly after them, the ceremony would conclude. So, best leave off on a high note, right after miss money has no meaning girl.

"Anastasia Hoshin of the Hoshin Trading Company, and her attendant, the Knight Julius Euclius." With that, the purple haired duo made their way up onto the stage.

Subaru wasn't expecting the bluntness of it at all, this was something only a very confident person would do, or a really stupid one.. Anastasia Hoshin is, legitimately, a sly fox after all.

"I'm a greedy gal, so I want everything. No amount of commercial success can satisfy me. I want my own nation!" she exclaims, then makes her way down, gingerly as could be. Anastasia Hoshin, tied with Crusch Karsten, is the most dangerous, and by far the most useful candidate for Subaru and Emilia's goals.

So, now it was their turn. A dual candidacy, marriage bound them together. So, pick one and the other still does what they say they're going to do, it was really… Do you want both of them to rule? If so, which one gets to enter the covenant with the dragon? They're both candidates, after all.

Marcos visibly sighed, this introduction was a long one, maybe the longest one he'd done before.

"Natsuki Subaru sama and Natsuki Emilia sama, and their Great Spirits Puck and Lady Beatrice, the man endorsing them, Roswaal L. Mathers, and their attendant, Reinhard Van Astrea."

A grand introduction of some very influential names, and the specification that the spirits were in fact great spirits, it was perfect for getting themselves known… This was for memorial instances, nobody will forget this.

Stepping forward from the group of six others, one of which being a giant silver lion, his stance and appearance was bidding well with the overall show. Anastasia was calculating, he he delivers well now, Natsuki Subaru would be of high importance to her.

"If I become the ruler of this nation, you will see change. We as a people put too much faith into the Dragon, that has been certain for four centuries at least. Lugunica has been and still is the strongest, yes, but it won't be forever. The internal systems, the Imperial Knights, all of it, it all has to be severely overhauled, strengthened, and expanded. To survive a war that I see as inevitable between either the Vollachian Empire or the Holy Kingdom of Gusteko. A war that we would win, no doubt about it, but at the cost of collapse shortly after. I want to change that.

A part of this is the total eradication of the scourge of humanity for the past four hundred years, seemingly just ignored by all save the last Sword Saint. That scourge being known as White Whale, Great Hare, and Black Snake.

What's more, the only piece of history allowed to live on in the current era, one that is, to a smaller extent, a scourge as well. It was allowed to expand and thrive for centuries, its actions spreading discourse and havoc in wake, the Witches Cult. I vow to destroy this threat entirely, and until it's gone, Reinhard, the Sword Saint, will be a means of destroying them in a proper fashion. The war on the Witches Cult and the Hakugei starts today.

Now, this is but a small part of what i'll do for this nation… What lies in the future, is for you, the people, to decide."

He stepped back, finished with a powerful speech. Anastasia was amazed, Crusch was amazed. His delivery, his sincerity, his authority all was perfect. It gives a huge amount of insight towards what they were dealing with, they came in prepared for softball and got floored by a medicine ball. Who knew, somebody could throw those things like you would in dodgeball.

But, that was just Subaru's part of the speech. Now, it was Emilia's turn. She came forward, and cleared her throat.

"I have less to say than my husband, though we share many ideals at heart. If one of us was elected, him, or by very slim chance myself, then I would strive for the betterment of the common people.

To stave the ever growing issues of poverty and unemployment, I will establish an Imperial Worker's Commission, an empire wide variation of the legally recognized Employment Offices of Kararagi, that will give available jobs to anyone who comes looking for them.

And to stop the issue of endlessly growing slums, I plan on working with the people to relocate them to smaller towns and villages, even have them build their own houses elsewhere, because smaller communities have far more demand for work than the cities. What will become of the slums then, would likely be the remodeling, or spacing out of the populace to lower its density, so as to allow healthier growth of economy.

While nowhere near the last thing I wish to do, it is the last one I want to share at the moment. I want to establish a standardized schooling system and college, which, at the moment, no nation on earth has. All children and adults should have access to the exact same information that everyone else does. We are all equal under the dragon, after all."

She stepped down, her own speech finished as well. Social issues primarily focusing on the poor and jobless, that was her approach, it made for a fairly well rounded agenda for the two, even if it lacked ninety plus percent if what they planned to do entirely.

They made their way down, it was a success. Leaving their two main competitors completely astonished with their announcements, and a very good outlook from the nobility despite a few small things. It was probably the best they could have asked for, now they just had to wait until the get to go back to the Astrea mansion.

Lord Miklotov rose, the elder was prepared to end this thing. "Now that all the candidates are here, the royal selection can begin at last!" he exclaimed, finally allowing his voice to show itself, and with it, marks the beginning if the three year journey until all the citizens of Lugunica cast their votes for the king…

* * *

 **Well then! I was having a little trouble there, but it all got done on time! Chock full of spelling errors, zero quality control and no proofreading, it's awesome! Anyways, to less sarcastic waters, what do you guys think? Haven't got much feedback on this, Remastered, or for that matter the original BBZ… Is it actually okay in your guys's eyes? I always wonder, because it seems like you guys like it, but then I never see comments on it. Damn, i'm here asking for comments, it's like the same thing youtubers do, asking for likes and stuff!**

 **Okay, so that's that. Next chapter will finally delve into 'mucho le… Suffero' territory, just how different though? You'll just have to wait and see, or not wait, but i'll be asleep or busy 85% of the time… So, RIP. o7**

 **.**

[EoCDiscussions]

[MNR] "Well, one last King chapter to put out, then it'll be Knight's run. After you'll see 'R' make a resurgence, as i've been thinking over a lot of things related to a sequel of it that I have planned… Ignore the fact that it only has two chapters at the moment, the sequel will be awesome!"

[Reviewr] "Roswaalized version of yourself getting a sequel story when the current in is like… Still in its prelude stage?"

[Knight] "It'll be interesting, I guess. From what you're sharing with us behind the scenes, it would probably pose a nice bit if hilarity to our otherwise horrible and tragic experiences in life."

[Red] "Work on your other stuff first, that shit can wait."

[Rich] "Well, I never said i'd take priority. My chapters are short anyways, so whatever. And I can do without dying for awhile, you know, dying sucks? Remember?"

[Red] "Alright, but still, work on the good stuff first."

[King] "Back to reality, is dissing Priscilla really necessary? Is it even smart for my line? I feel like she'll just be a pain in the ass now…"

[MNR] "You'll just have to wait and see, you all just have to wait and see…."

.


	7. Chapter 5 old

**Hi! It's been a reallly long time, over a whole month, huh? Well, i'm back… For now.**

 **This is just an obligatory update, but it is in fact a whole chapter.**

 **This is a ROUGH DRAFT. I didn't finish it, if it were really finished… Well, it doesn't matter. I am updating the story from the the beginning; adding words, realism, details… Oh god the details!**

 **Now I will ask you, that when I post chapter 6, please REREAD this story. There will be A LOT of changes that may make you wholesomely confused, as well as the removal, and subsequent incorporation of the 'shorts' chapters interrimed from C3-C4.**

 **Chapter 6 won't be here till the whole thing is updated, so just keep an eye out for it. Oh, and before I forget, happy 4th!**

Chapter 5, The Brewing Storm (RD)

The Royal Selection kicked off, and then what ensued was a very, very long day of meetings and negotiation, at least for the two. Being the most unique candidacy, most attractive and most unattractive, most promising yet also unpromising… Well, it was at such a balance, though it leaned towards good.

The fake witch, the wife of Natsuki Subaru, named Natsuki Emilia, was for eliminating the cult as much as Subaru… Perhaps this was her most aggressive or violent view to date. So, while hard to imagine for them, many nobles actually ended up talking to her… without minding her appearance.

Yes, the nobility was thoroughly pleased with them, they were social, well coordinated with one another and prepared to answer any question they were asked. If it didn't gain a noble's support, it certainly swayed their views on the half elf, at minimum.

All was in their favor, Reinhard's 'presentation' worked wonderfully, their days spent preparing for public speaking at the village let them be more at ease, and having all their main ideas already thought through was great… the nobles were easily impressed by it all.

But, the other candidates were not, at least not Crusch or Priscilla. Anastasia though, she could see what it was, what they did. And, she knows that they are the ones to watch. Surely something will happen, as now every single person in the nation and even others outside of it will know… The couple that want to change the world have stepped into view.

Crusch held a stoic, unchanging face, yet… She was angry. Worried. Somewhat in shock. She felt threatened by the two. What she worked for, what she prepared so long for in secret for, was in jeopardy.

She was baffled. Why didn't she do what they did? Make it public, and you gain support… No, she went out of her way to keep it secret, meeting groups that shared her cause but kept it under wraps, just for this damn royal selection to kick off, and then do it.

It seemed fate wanted not only for Priscilla to be humiliated, but herself be put into deep trouble. If she went forward with her plan, she would receive flack because… There isn't a way to prevent deaths, not without the sword saint, no possible way.

And asking for help now is too late, the couple just gained all the world's public support in killing the damn thing. If it's killed, they fulfill a campaign promise. Huh, why didn't she opt for making it public?

Greed. She knew that, if it was killed without prior notice, and full credit given to her camp, as long as no similar feat was made… She would have been crowned king without a second thought at the end of the selection.

But now, that's changed. Her entire plan was effectively garbage now. Enacting it would be fruitless, it would be straight up bad publicity for declining the employment of the current generation sword saint. Yes, the couple just shook the entire election up - it's hardball or nothing, she would have to do something drastic to make up for it, but… What, exactly? Kill an archbishop? Bring peace on the Vollachian border? End slavery in Kararagi? No, it has to be localized.. Oh, there was one thing she thought of in the moment, but…

"Ferris… I do not think sir Astrea will be present when we get back to the residence." she said to the cat demihuman, and he twitched his ears in response. "What? Why would nyou think thyat?"

Of course, the nature of Wilhelm, the stoic and strong willed man, dubbed 'sword demon' wasn't too obvious… But, he knew that the old man would be furious, perhaps.

She sighed, shaking her head a bit. "It's unfortunate, but it just is. Come, we must prepare for… A new endeavor." "Nyew?" but, she was already walking away. He almost ran to catch up, and soon they were gone.

Anastasia grew an even bigger grin seeing the exit of her rival, yes it seemed that she had underlying plots that just got ruined by the two. She saw how Crusch was staring painfully at them, and how they noticed, yet ignored it… these two only brought even more curiosity to her, she could see two very definite possibilities, out of the infinite possible futures of these two.

Either they both end up dead in a week due to witch cultists or assassins, or… They will be her rival outright throughout this whole thing. And, really, she was open to that. "It's fun to have a challenge every once in a while, huh?" she asked herself, though it was also a question to Julius. "Indeed, it seems that things have sped up significantly in such a short time." she nodded, still observing them. "I wonder what happens now?"

But she knew the answer already. She would have lots of contact with these very individuals for certain, be it for business or political purposes… They would meet again soon, that was a guarantee.

So this left two camps to meet with and cull the entire nobility, with Priscilla having left immediately and Crusch leaving after a short, painful realization. It was fairly quiet, and by observing how the other acted during meetings spoke a lot of their character.

Anastasia could see that, while they're unexperienced, that they trained hard not to screw up. It wasn't a joke. They were definitely rival material. She smiled, and soon left herself.

Priscilla was surprised for once. She wasn't angry anymore, but… She felt humility for once in a very, very long time. Perhaps something changed… But, she was having trouble believing it. That never happened, so why? She eyed the man who did it to her, her eyes full of wonder and an odd bit of respect.

'Peasants, all of them… But, what of him?' he stood up to her, commandeering HER respect. This man was no mere peasant in her eyes… "What a pain. No matter, Al! We're leaving." "Right away, Princess!" those two odd folk began their exit, not caring one bit about the people who stared… 'It's revolting…' she thought. 'We shall see.'

.

Interestingly enough, Anastasia was very receptive of the Natsukis. Walking into a large building, presumably owned by Hoshin, or maybe she was renting out an entire hotel for just this occasion, it was rather busy with demihumans of all sorts, and there were dozens of parked carriages outside along with accompanying Rigers, so Anastasia certainly did have a 'base of operations' located within the capital, at least.

The inside had a large courtyard though it was all styled in a european fashion, three stories all with railing along the courtyard side to see below and above. It was not enclosed. So, walking in to see dozens of white and orange robed figures, the 'Fang Of Iron' as it was called, the mercenary group Anastasia ran herself, primarily employing demihumans and humans in a fluidic fashion, though it was almost entirely formed up out of demihumans.

Here is where you would expect some grand entrance, but there wasn't one. It was working people doing their jobs, while they would give a glance to see who just came in, who they smelled or noticed, they didn't drop what they were doing to greet them, just a wave and that was it.

'Politics isn't our deal' is the overall vibe from the robed figures mulling about, as Anastasia broke off from the group and Julius led them to a meeting room, somewhere a bit more private. It would seem that Anastasia wanted to do something important with them.

Seated on a few couches inside one fairly lit room, the camp made itself comfortable as it could, with Julius telling them all about who they were going to meet with, mostly the 'leaders' of the Fang, A Kobold, and three human beasts, apparently triplets.

Some loud noises could be heard from behind the door, and then a crashing thud, and laughter. "Did somebody just…" "Wee! Again! Again!" the door flings open and in flies a small collection of orange and white, the thing sailing and hitting an unused couch, giggling and laughter just bursting from it.

When it landed, it sprawled. Upside down, head on the edge and feet at the top of it, the small cat like human beast named Mimi looked around and sniffed in delight, her gaze then landing on the guests. "Hia!" she shouts, scrambling off the couch and launching right into the open space between Subaru and Emilia, rather 'wedged' herself into the space that was not exactly somewhere even somebody her size could fit… So,

"Aah!?" "Huh?" they loudly respond to the furry being, her smile broad while sitting between them. "Ahahaha, you guys are super popular right now! Hehehe!" she slammed where her legs were, though only hit fabric. Effectively she was sitting on one of both's legs, cheerful and at home, though it was very awkward and uncomfortable for the two.

Julius looked a little shocked, though it couldn't be helped. Roswaal was grinning at this, and Beatrice was looking… Well, sour about the whole affair… But even she couldn't exactly tell why.

"Oh Mimi, let the Natsukis have space, please?" Anastasia came in the door, her face tinged a bit from her subordinate's actions. "Okay, i'm going to sit by you!" "Of course dear." so she exploded out from the two and landed on the opposite couch, right next to her seat. "Boisterous and rowdy, and cute. Mimi ought to show the kids at the village how to play, eh?" Subaru spoke to Emilia, and she tilted her head in thought.

"Though, wouldn't that get out of hand?" she finally responds. "Err…" "Hehe." Anastasia looked happily on their interactions, her opinion of them was shaped well enough… They were fairly easy going people that seem very comfortable with each other, and it seemed the marriage was not political at all - with the being that _his_ hand in a marriage would have sealed the election for any other candidate, so at first it really did seem to have been a political marriage, perhaps Emilia offered her body to him, or perhaps Roswaal offered him some great amount of money or land or power, or maybe they had dirt on him, but…

'They're both virgins, in love…' oh, that changed things. She was realizing this while her other camp members seated themselves, Tivey and Hetaro sitting next to Mimi and Ricardo standing hunched over near them, next to Julius. Reinhard was standing as well, opposite the other two.

"Since formality has already been thrown out the window, i'll get right to it. As a woman in the business of trade, my opinion of the White Whale is obvious. So, i'm offering you a few things here, no charge." she opened. This wasn't fully unexpected, but having her open with that was a surprise.

"From the Fang as auxiliary, enough rigers and mobile platforms to move the carcass to the capital for a parade, to information on the whale, wherever it next appears, is yours. The benefit of not having the Whale shutting down essential trading lanes more than makes up for it." she continued.

So, they thought on it. Essentially it was a free way of getting it out there that the white whale was killed by them, but… "Hnn, offering because, you don't know if they'll accept or not?" Roswaal said. She nodded. "Political gain is a very enticing thing, you know? I'd gain very little while seeing a long since dead wish fulfilled, and you would have the benefit of being in the forefront right out the gate, there's little not to gain from it." she replied.

It mostly rode on Reinhard. Quiet, waiting for orders, he was the one that was supposed to be leading the attack on the whale, and most all of the other main threats specified by Subaru, it seemed like the weight of the world would be sitting on his shoulders, with all that responsibility resting on him…

Though the weight of a thousand suns on his back was… Entertainment, for him. Slaying monsters was something that he could _actually_ do. He accepted that role in a heartbeat, even going as far as saying, 'if you declare war, then let me hold a front.' though being so willing while so modest, believing that any person, even children, are strong in their own right, he was not worried about a challenge.

"I see the point, but surely you don't think of it as merely grasping for superiority in the election, eh?" Subaru pointed out a good fact, as she did specify it as well.

"That's actually what i'd like to know, if one of the other two was hedging their bets on taking it down in secrecy, just for that purpose?" playing dumb, though they were fully aware. Crusch, Reinhard has better connections than anyone could have ever imagined.

"You're sly, i'll admit. I'm holding my tongue, though you probably know leagues more than myself. Without saying, I would believe so." he says. "Hehe, it was worth a shot anyways. I won't bore you with politics, but do indulge in the Hoshin company and such. It's a pleasure to have you."

.

"Give Bubby back! or i'll blast you, I suppose! You… You!" Beatrice was breathing heavy, on the second floor balcony opposite Mimi, who was holding Puck like a football on the third floor balcony, running around in circles. "Na-na, Bea-chan is too slow! Already tired! Wee!" "Sh… Shutup, I suppose!"

The camps looked on with smiles as the two children chased one another, rather Beatrice chasing Mimi with spikes and force magic while she played her own version of Tag and Keepaway mixed in one, this was true entertainment.

"Aah, i'm still not sure what to make of it…" Emilia commented, she did have a part to play in this, of course… Puck is her contracted spirit, after all. "She… She won't destroy the place, will she? Not that i'm worried about it, just wondering." Anastasia was certainly concerned, of course she was.

"Beako… Property damage… Well, I don't recall her actually destroying anything, but when she gets serious… Well, you don't want to see her get serious… Then again, I can't really tell if she's serious right now or not."

And to that Anastasia shuddered a bit, Beatrice was a great spirit after all. "Eeee!" Mimi ran past, and through a rift Beatrice shot out nearby, nearly catching the speeding beast child. "I think she's serious."

Not going into details, but Beatrice was eventually victorious. She had to trap Mimi in a gravity field, and nearly damaged her dress in doing so. Mimi was very, very entertained with heightened gravity, moving around in it like she was playing a slow motion game…

"Hey Emilia tan, you remember day two at the mansion?" he asked her quietly, and remembering the incident, the 'closeness' during that incident, it tinged her face red. Sure she got what he was referring to as a comparison to how Mimi was trudging through,

but innocence at the time and realization does that to you.

"But… She seems confident now?" Emilia returned. "Ah, maybe its because Mimi hasn't targeted her drills?" she shrugs. "hmm."

.

Hours went by as Subaru made purchase orders with Anastasia, concerning materials needed for their plans, such as updating local communication and alert systems with conversational and visual Metia, you could imagine the shock when she saw the numbers being in the thousands.

He met with Russell Fellow and many high merchants from around the Lugunica and Kararagi area, and very few from Vollachia, Gusteko seemed to be barren… Or maybe they don't have enough money there for traders to run a profit minus the government sales.

Running these meetings alongside Anastasia and Reinhard brought to light that… Everyone, absolutely everyone in trade as a merchant, abhors the whale with great animosity. Deals went easily, with the general outlook being positive.

But when things needed to do run out, it's time to leave. They were given a good send off, and the assurance that the supplies would be delivered to the alternate Roswaal residence, the main one.

The carriage held a familial air about it, Puck resting in Beatrice's lightly sleeping arms, Emilia leaned up against Subaru as they looked out at the capital in the close distance, perhaps the only oddity was Roswaal… Riding on the opposite side, his strangeness bleeding out onto the comfy scene. It would only last until they got back.

.

Four days passed rather easily, with things slowing down significantly. Between minor management of the territory and rift trips to the Miload and alternate Roswaal residence, not much time was spent being apart or being preoccupied for the couple.

And this morning was no different.

Emilia blinked, her eyes adjusting to the rather dark room, this was a bit earlier than she normally wakes up, but everything was rather normal. She was close to Subaru and felt his arm over her, holding her in his sleep. She looked to his face to see him pleasantly sleeping, having a nice dream probably.

'Everything is normal, so why do I feel something is.. Off?' she thought to herself, she did feel a bit weird… pinpointing it, she could only think of one thing…

She quickly turned her gaze to the door, but only saw that it was still locked. They only lock from the inside, but can be unlocked from the outside. The only one that would be up would be Reinhard, and he is too vigilant to allow people to be snooping around the mansion or around it, for that matter.

'Why do I feel like i'm being watched?' she pondered. 'Puck? Puuuck, come out, please…' she asked, and lightly the crystal on the counter began to glow. 'Lia…. Naaah, what is it that's got you worried?' he replied to her silently, through their contract he could do this, much like telepathy.

'I… think we're being watched, but nothing looks different…' she laid back down, cozying up next to Subaru as Puck formed himself. He sat next to her, and indeed… His fur started to stand on end. 'Okay something is seriously wrong. You should wake Subaru if it gets worse, and i'll investigate. I'll be right back.' he reassured her, that she was definitely not imagining things. She nodded to him and curled up a bit, and he phased through the door and shot off to investigate.

His search was taking him far out into the outside world, there wasn't a single thing out of place or odd in the mansion, but every time he went near the windows on the front of the mansion he felt that feeling… So he looked to find a vantage point that would have all the windows in view.

Yet there was nothing besides a mountain in the distance, too far to have discernable sight even with magnification magic, but still he couldn't rule it out. So, he left to check to only place that he felt it could be.

Yet, his trip was fruitless. There was nothing besides a few Ulgarm and a hiker headed up to his cabin, on the other side if the mountain at that. So, Puck hurried back, still nothing appeared to be wrong, just thay staying near the windows.. You knew that you were being watched.

Emilia did not wake Subaru, in fact she nodded off again in his embrace. Puck sighed, and then… 'It's gone?! But…' he looked around to see that all was well, just the sense of being watched was gone.

He went to Reinhard, who apparently also knew about it. His own search was fruitless, he even asked Beatrice and she said there was no magic at play and there were no oddities within the surrounding miles of the place, so it was just… Odd.

Still, the entire region was set to high alert status that morning. Whether it was just chance or not still plagued their minds deep into the day, but they were certainly being watched… By what or who, that was an entirely different matter.

.

"Eeih? Wait, repeat that, Reinhard?" having been just now informed of the change of alert status, Subaru stared with alarmed eyes at both Emilia and Reinhard, though he would not be angry with it, he was surprised. "Yes, it would be that everyone that was awake could sense they were being watched by an unknown presence all along the front side of the mansion, and some reports of the villagers saying they felt they were being watched as well. I'm not sure what could have caused this, but there is no evidence that magic was used nor any devices either. It's simply strange all around, and whatever it was… it disappeared shortly after starting, being almost half an hour until it ceased." he reported.

Subaru breathed heavily, he wasn't sure what it could be either. Mutually felt with Emilia, they were both worried…

"Is there any past reports of this kind regarding any great beasts or lost great spirits?" but, he just got a shaking head in return. "Regarding the Witches Cult?" it was his biggest fear… "None. There have not been any reports like this made anywhere ever before, as far as I know. It seems the Imperial Knights don't know anything about it either, but they acknowledge that it is a serious issue with what we gave them to work with."

He scratched his head in wonder… "I think… agh, I don't know what I think, it's bad, we should leave before something happens… How long will it take to evacuate Arlam?" he asked. Stress, this was unlike at the capital… this was real. "With what we have on hand, four days. If we flagged down a merchant group, perhaps less than a day to get them out if the alert area." he answered.

Emilia was stressed on this too, she asked many of the same questions that Subaru did… But came to the same conclusion he was headed towards.

"Damn… Alright, aah…" he looked to Emilia, and she held her worried look as well. "I think we should stay here, to protect the villagers in case something happens." she says to him. He nodded, that seemed to be the only okay course of action.

"Alright, Subaru sama. I hope this passes uneventfully." for Reinhard to be legitimately worried" well that was saying something… But they couldn't do anything about it. So, they were left to just wait.

But waiting led to endless angst, when nothing occurred the rest of the day… Well, it was somewhat a let down and a relief, just for now they could relax… Sort of.

.

Half asleep, Subaru was cuddled up with a sleeping Emilia, parting her hair and such mostly to just comfort her, it was also stress relief for himself to see her not be in panic like yesterday. Really it was a big scare, so calming everybody down was a goal..

Thinking about endless amounts of things, he strained his mind on it… "I should just go to sleep…" he said, but… footsteps rushed down the hallway to his door, and soon a knock as well. "Subaru kun! The White Whale has been located!" Rem called through the door, surprising him. 'What? Now of all times? Well… Shit, have to go do this right fucking now then.'

Jumping out of bed, though taking care not to wake Emilia. He quickly changed out to training clothes, stuff he could get dirty and was very easy to move in… Then, exited into the hallway. Rem stood there waiting for him with Reinhard next to her, his guard's uniform on and two extra swords strapped to his belt, and a sword in hand for him.

"A group of merchants was encamped near Flugel's Tree along the Laifus highway, when they were forced away by the whale's Fog at exactly one fourteen according to your own LST, twenty minutes ago. If we rift to the outskirts of the capital, we should get to the fog bank within five minutes via minya platform." he explained.

So, they have to go right now to get it, else it could be gone by morning. "Rem." Subaru looked to her, and she held her breath as she saw the seriousness in his gaze. "Y-yes, Subaru kun?" she was almost scared by his gaze.

"Take Emilia's Metia, and if anything, anything at all happens, contact me or Reinhard immediately, okay?" she slowly nodded, ti which he was relieved… "hmm. Alright, let's go." he said, taking the sword Reinhard had for him, and ran right into a rift he opened on the wall in front of him. Reinhard waved to Rem and then fell in from the side, the rift closing as he made it through.

Rem stared at the spot the two just left with her breath still held… A shiver went through her, a spine chilling, hair raising feeling overcoming her as she realized… This may be the last time she sees Subaru… She may never even remember who he was or what he did, after learning about what the whale does to people that it kills… "Don't be like the rest… please come back, Subaru kun…" she then did as she was told, and stood ready behind the front door just in case something was going to happen…

.

"Well I can say one thing, I only thought dust storms looked so terrifying from afar." flying on a large minya plate with Reinhard, they would be heading right into the fray that was… The Whale's playground. "Dust storm? You mean Sand Time, from near the Pleiades Watchtower?" Reinhard replied. "Err… No, what i'm talking about is… from my, you know…"

He nodded, looking straightforward at the ominous wall of expanding fog. How he could do this without blinking was simple, divine protections, which were also applied to Subaru through physical contact.

"So, the whale… haah, this is going to be kinda exciting, eh?" he shrugged. "Dangerous, but certainly able to be done. I would like not to put you in danger, Subaru sama." he said. "I know, I know. But, danger is… Not, but probably should be my middle name."

Jokes right before something very important, it might not seem logical to anybody… But, it really is. A massive stress reliever, if you can fool around, you're not in trouble at all, as one of those sayings go. Well, it isn't wrong, but it isn't right either.

So, they plunged in.

"Something is wrong, Subaru. Here, land here." by now they've been flying around the fog for at least half an hour, and haven't found anything yet. So, he complied.

On the ground, Reinhard touched his fingers to the dirt and listened carefully to the empty yet difficult space, then fixed his gaze on somewhere ahead… And motioned for Subaru to follow suite.

Soon what came into view was… "Magic cannons? And they're brand new… wait, they're…" looking at the relatively extravagant looking cannons in line, smoke was lightly coming from the barrels, and it seemed that they were all forced back into the dirt from firing.

"It appears that a group operated these… During the whale's presence." Reinhard concluded. "Minutes ago, but… Who would do that?" to that they didn't really have an answer..

Walking down a bit further, they both stopped still in seeing the much larger cannon at the end of the line… "that's a sun bringer mortar piece?" sure enough, it was the very same one that fires 'nighbanisher' light magic crystal payloads, and even it shows recent, as in minutes ago, use.

The smell of hot iron and burning wood and grass was getting gradually heavier, and then they heard a scream…" _Crusch sama!_ " from the distance, it was coming from the base of the tree… * _Crrsh…. Hyyrrr!_ * hearing something massive impact on the tree itself, it roared deafeningly loud as it was apparently hit by something else directly afterwards.

"Crusch san is- what the hell is she doing?!" while it explains the equipment, that she was here, if you could believe the scream, but… "Who's Crusch?" Reinhard asked. "No time, the whale is over there!" "Right!"

Reinhard pulled ahead quickly, and then disappeared into the fog entirely. It was only seconds until you could hear another deafening screech, but Subaru kept running forward… Until he almost tripped over a corpse.

Looking at it proved to be a mistake. It seemed that only a third of the torso was left, it's right side completely gone in a rough cup like shape from the shoulder down to the leg, with the rest of the organs spilled out and a huge puddle of blood soaking the dirt around him, his face left with a terrified look and blood trailed from his mouth… Subaru almost puked.

Moving on, he trudged through, with his vision gradually growing better, Reinhard's strikes sending huge volumes of wind into the fog, clearing out much of it at the base of the tree, and… This is where he finally saw life, perhaps twenty men, assorted in robes and metal armor, and one very familiar royal guard's uniform…

'Dear god…' he ran up, startling a few of the guys that seemed to be terrified. "What are all of you doing here?!" he asked, but they seemed confused. "We don't know! I thought we were here under your orders, but nothing comes up now that I think about it!" a more calm one replied, her was standing nearer to Subaru than the rest.

"Well Reinhard is here now, just get closer to the base of the tree and i'll get you guys out of here!" Subaru yelled this order to all of them, and sure enough they moved into action, at least all of them but one… One that was leaning over a blue uniformed body, surely… "Felix?" he called, getting closer and closer, yet…

He didn't want to ask who it was, but seeing the body up close, the entire upper half was gone. All that was recognizable was the dark blue pants, and half an arm with hand and a broken sword clutched tightly within, she was hit with… Whatever the hell it was, head on.

"FELIX! Crusch san is dead! Move it!" he ordered, yet he only looked up with eyes devoid of life, it looked like he was mentally dead. "C-crusch… S-s-sama… W-why… WHY DON'T I REMEMBER?!" he buried his face into the leg, bawling like a child… So, this was the power of the white whale, the power to make others forget.

Subaru deliberated… And pulled Felix away, sending him through a rift to right outside the capital. He then hurried back over to the tree's base, and hurried the distraught and confused soldiers and mages through as well. And now being a bit lost himself, he figured he could do something…

"God damn it that's loud!" he fired off the mortar, watching as the salvo trailed high up and then lit, exploding into light that rivals only the sun in brightness, illuminating the entire area… Making it very easy to spot the whale, but… "there's fucking three now?"

Three shadows were present clear as day, and it seemed the fog itself was dissipating… So, it soon became visible.

Three whales, all without half their tail, long deep cuts all over their bodies, and half the jaw cut off… now here's where it was odd, each one shared similar kinds of damage, actually the exact same kind of damage, besides the one that was being assaulted by Reinhard at the moment, which the one highest in the sky.

It took him a little bit, but it was obvious what it was when he realized it himself. "It shares damage… Like, what's the power those triplets have? Trisection, thank you reinhard and your divine protections.." of course reinhard figured this out the second it split up, so he went after the one that tried to stay away from the fight after he beat on the two clones for a while.

* _HYYYRCH_ * it screeched, it had been getting sliced for minutes until Reinhard could finally bring out the Sword Reid, and that screech was the result of his first swing with it. Subaru watched as it literally got cut in two, its lower body falling off and caneering to the ground, it began losing altitude fast. he kept leaving full through cuts all over the poor animal, until it crashed to the ground with a thud.

Magnificence was the sight, Reinhard glowing bright white as he stood atop the remains of the whale, holding the Sword Reid with a kind of exhilarated look on his face… He was having fun. One would expect him to admire his work, but he sheathed the sword, and jumped towards Subaru in the clearing fog.

A little while of just looking over the destruction, Subaru found himself at the remains of Crusch Karsten's corpse. He knelt down, hand on her pant leg and on the sword beside it.

"Subaru sama? You know who… Who this was?" Reinhard knelt down himself, touching the ground nearby. He had no recognition of whoever this was, memory completely gone regarding the person.

"It was a woman named Crusch Karsten, a royal candidate for the throne. We last saw her five days ago, when we all met for the beginning if the royal selection…" he answered… "Oh… Sorry to hear that, but… How is that you can remember too?"

He didn't have an answer for that, there wasn't much logic to that… Why would he remember if nobody else, to his knowledge, could? From all documented history on the White Whale, whoever is forgotten… cannot be remembered, by anyone, anywhere.

"It's intriguing, how you remember who you should forget, Witch lover." this startled them both, hearing this childish voice call out from behind them, and how murderous and dark it sounded as well… they immediately turned around to see two figures, one wearing something similar to Subaru and the other wearing rags, literally.

Eyes wide, they were confronted with two archbishops of the Witches Cult, from research it would be Ley Batenkaitos, and Regulus Corneas, Gluttony and Greed respectively. Why they were together, why they were here, it was all impossible, as impossible as Subaru remembering Crusch.

Reinhard put himself in front of Subaru and unsheathed the Sword Reid once again, while not visible he was relieved that it allowed itself to be drawn. The blank man sighed and flicked his hair, obviously annoyed by the gesture, and the raggedly kid went into a more defensive stance, much more clearly worried about it than his companion.

"I have no quarrels with you, I am merely here by chance. I do not like the… Hostility, that you are displaying towards me, at the moment. It does infringe upon my rights as an individual, after all." the bland one shot at them. "While I don't necessarily want to squander your rights, yours being here is highly difficult to ignore." Reinhard retorted, and so a standoff ensued.

Standoff was more just a staring contest, even as the horizon began changing shades of black and dark blue, it was only a matter of time until one of the parties moved…

And the one to move was Ley. His aura dark, he shot away from his position with a speed unimaginable without being imbued with light magic, his presence becoming a physical force as he rushed around Reinhard, only to be pushed away by Subaru's own sword. His eyes went a little wide in surprise, how did he block?

"Physical capabilities go infinitely, just most people think that the threshold is where you start to actively hurt yourself. Well, you can see that I can counter-" and the child phased out of sight, and soon he blocked another blow and yet another from two entirely different angles

at what seemed to be, the same time. "Lunar Eclipse." he finished his sentence.

By now Reinhard stepped into action, preventing Regulus from reaching Subaru, who was no match for the one of seemingly infinite power, much like Reinhard himself. It was a good thing that both knew their enemies well, even before encountering them, they figured out which one would require what to be taken down.

While it wasn't discussed what to do whether two different ones or more showed up, it was decided that somebody on the level of Puck or Subaru should be able to manage, though for Subaru, Luck would have to play a part in his win.

In this case, Ley was 'barely' manageable. Regulus… Is higher on the chart than the whale. So, of course it was Reinhard's job to deal with Regulus, it was the only way.

Regulus did have his reasons to defend Ley, but he also has many reasons not to do so either. Actually, he is quite angry that he has to even defend the hungry child in this instance, as he already has other things to do. So, swinging his hands bare as a way to parry the Sword Reid, he held a disgusted and angered look.

Ley, meanwhile, was occupied with trying to just kill Subaru, knowing that - killing Subaru is the only thing he can do here, he stands no chance against the sword saint.

Parry unto parry, strike unto strike, Ley darted around Subaru at speeds that only allow brief blurry images to be seen, his daggers aimed at vital spots but still only getting parried away by sword or minya blade, being forced to dodge away as dozens of spikes fly to wherever he was last. Endurance and speed versus pooled mana and luck, it only made it more interesting when Subaru started utilizing gate crossing to rift around the area at increasing velocity, hitting the terminal level as he moved around.

Reinhard and Regulus were engaged in a battle even quicker paced, while it looked far more calm and slow, the speed that these men were attacking at far exceeded anything that the other two could ever manage. Time itself was passing at a distorted rate, all four individuals captivated in battle as the sun peeked over the distant lands, without much notice of the passing carriages and a small army of robed individuals riding on rigers towards the whale's corpse.

The state of the individuals was interesting to say the least. Subaru and Ley were injured, small cuts and gashes littering their bodies entirely, their weapons in ruin, pits and craters on the bladed pieces of metal that were, just prior, recognizable. Regulus was gaining shallow cuts where he should have lost limbs, and blood loss? He does not bleed, it seems. Reinhard was battered as well, though for him, being injured only makes him stronger.

They were just moving to strike one another again, when Regulus vanished, and from where Ley was, the sound of a quick exhale, like as if somebody had the wind knocked out of them, and he was gone as well. Regulus grabbed Ley and ran.

Only Reinhard could see the quick running man carrying the knocked out child, already well over a mile away as the sun glinted on his white hair, being the only thing the naked eye could see… A shiny reflection.

It became obvious as they looked around that a giant battle had taken place, nearly fifty dead men and similar amounts of ground dragons littered the area, with the artillery pieces standing abandoned on the ridgeline nearby the tree. The arriving Fang Of Iron forces loomed on dimly, this was the party that originally went in with the two standing there amongst it all…

"Subaru sama! What happened here? It's a mess!" Ricardo was, for once, not looking that happy, and ignored the whale's corpse as he jumped off the Riger and landed next to the two.

"Does the name Crusch Karsten ring a bell?" he asked the Kobold, and he seemed to think a bit, then shook his head. "Dunno anybody by the name, no." he answered. "Aah… Well, Crusch was a royal candidate, head of the Karsten family. This is what remains of her, she went in with this force… Alone. We got here shortly before she…" he didn't finish, just the thought of all of these people being dead, it was hard to bare for him… And he was the only one who knew who the woman was.

Ricardo scratched his head in worry, hearing that a royal candidate was dead, even though nobody even knows who she was, was nerve racking. "Ah… I jumped to conclusions then. I just wish we got out here sooner, so we coulda done something ta help out with them archbishops." he said.

"Hm, if I knew Archbishops were going to appear, I would have declined having anyone come with me." Reinhard said. "Hey man, don't worry about it, Reinhard. There was no way we could have known they were coming, you know? At least we made them retreat, that's saying something right after… That fiasco, you know?" he patted him on the back, but to no avail. He still let people die, even though it most certainly was not his fault.

So they looked around the scattered bodies and helped lined them up for retrieval, for the ones with dog tags they were placed onto their chests so that they could be remembered, though the ones lost to the whale, were unfortunately lost to humanity as a whole… They were piled into a mass grave, and request for a monument was filled in the short time they mulled about.

Though the carnage was harsh, some people and ground dragons survived. Out of the fifty six some odd ground dragons found, seven were alive. And of the sixty two men, an extra twenty three were merely unconscious, though mostly in critical condition. This was a bad bad for certain.

They spent around two hours there, and even had immediate contact with Anastasia, who even rode out to see the mess… She may look weak, but she managed seeing the carnage well. It still made no difference though, it just proved that the royal candidate named Crusch Karsten was forgotten by the world, and her name was only known… For leading a group of men into a suicide mission.

.

"Reinhard…" Subaru called, they were supposed to have left five minutes ago, but… "Gate Crossing isn't working." he said. He then reached into his pocket and opened his metia, and called for Emilia's one on a direct line. 'Zzzt- mana interference detected during connection' it buzzed and that was shown on the screen, alarming Subaru and Reinhard immensely.

" _Rem? Emilia? Ram? Is something wrong? Our metia is not able to reach yours. Please, respond._ " Reinhard instantly went for Telepathy, and Subaru mentally panicked.

He knows they heard it, but got no response. Now even he was in panic, but he has to remain calm. "Subaru, we need to get back to the mansion. Something really is wrong." he said. "Hrr.." hearing Reinhard say that was confirming his fears, but still how he said it, it should be alright if they just get there… So, subaru looked around and eventually locked eyes with a single ground dragon… Perhaps the only one able to stand, it stared into his soul with her own reptilian eyes, similar to how his own look they shared the same piercing look.

"Hyrrooh!" it roared, and lowered its head as he approached it. He patted its head, as it showed him subservience. "I'd like to bring you with, but there simply isn't enough time. Perhaps next time." he said, and she let out a low, seemingly understanding squall, and then Subaru made a minya plate, motioning for Reinhard to get on.

"I'm sorry, Subaru sama." he said, though still Subaru saw no reason why Reinhard should be sorry… he just was, but figured that was just how Reinhard was… Because he is that way. Anything that made Subaru worry or disappointed him, Reinhard would apologize…

"Hmm." he responded, and then they shot off into the sky…

.

From nearly thirty miles out, they knew… the village of Arlam was set afire. Twenty, much of the surrounding forest was slowly beginning to catch as well, and at ten… "NO.." Subaru muttered, half of the mansion was on fire, it was for certain. "No…" denial, landing at the mansion's front lawn, Subaru ran forward, ignoring that Reinhard went the opposite direction, and sliced apart three robed figures. He continued out towards the town, as he sensed no more miasma from the mansion.

Subaru was left there, staring at the dead figures of Rem and well over a dozen witch cultists. There was small patches of fire and huge deep cuts where various kinds of magic impacted the ground, and impaled in Rem's eye socket was one of the cult's throwing daggers. It seemed they also ripped her ribcage apart, and impaled her heart well after she was dead.

Gruesome. Subaru went forward, the mansion entrance had its doors blown in and the top of the frame shattered, but still holding. Inside laid a few cultists as well, dead from what seemed to be minya spikes. The entire staircase was chock full of the impact marks, and the wall as well. Beatrice kept them here. There were at least a dozen dead on the stairs.

Second floor, on the very first room… the door was slightly open, and he could see the lower half of a maid uniform in there as well. Ram, he leaned in to see a sight even worse than he thought he could have ever seen…

She was decapitated, fingers cut off with multiple daggers lining her body, and in her arms was Petra… Her nutmeg hair tinted red with blood, her eyes gouged out and a cut along her neck, and behind the two corpses were the other children… Dead, mutilated and contorted all in a pile, he puked.

The second flight of stairs had the same minya impacts as the first, and another dozen dead cultists laid there was well… Just, at the top, right at the door… It was slightly open, inside was the library, she was trying to escape… But all around was this light colored powder, seemingly an explosion of flour or something else, but… "Beatri..ce…" it was mana.

He felt his entire world crumble before him, everything he had… Gone. That was… He doesn't even know what, was it punishment? What for? But, he kept on… "Emilia…" he muttered words incoherently, and trudged on through Roswaal's office, the secret passage door open, with cultists daggers all around it as well, blood splattered nearby the entrance…

It looked like it did when he first saw it, those dark bricks covered in a light blue hue, concealing magic mixed with light magic to keep it both hidden and strong, though there was a single bloody handprint every so often… until he got to the bottom, and saw her.

"..." he stared in horror at his love, his wife, the one he cherished over all others. Blood was seeping out of a few wounds on her, though… "S…. Sub..aru…" she called out, and he rushed to her, holding her tight as she opened her eyes in realization. "S-Subaru! Subaru… Sub…" she was crying into his chest, and he only held her tighter… "i'm so sorry, Emilia… I… I should have come back sooner…" he said, but she shook her head. "Y-you didn't know… it happened shortly after y-Hk! Hk…" she was remembering it all, it was horrifying…

"I…" she choked. "I love you, Subaru…" she was losing it, she saw all of them die…. "Please don't leave me again…" she pleaded, her voice weak and frail, she asked him that. "I won't leave you… Ever again…" he promised her. She hugged him deeply, planting her trembling lips on his and brought him into a deep kiss..

A kiss… That would be their parting action.

Subaru felt something force its way into his gut, it wasn't metal or wood, it was something more… Like an entity.

He panicked, his body constricted, and Emilia looked on in horror as he fell backwards, his head slamming onto the stone ground…. He started clawing at his own face, but what it looked like. "Ha… Ha… Ahahahaha! What A perfect! Body! Heeeehhahahaha! My-" "Get out of me god damn it! AaaaAAAHG!" "Ohh, ohhohoho! But your body is MINE now, boy! Oh, such a fighter… Suv diligence!" "I said GET OUT!..."

It went silent for a while as his body went limp, Emilia was in horror as she watched… Subaru was being possessed… By Sloth. She knew what his power was… But, Subaru of all people being one of his potential hosts? It was horrid…

"Emilia…" he called, and she scrambled in pain over to him, struggling to hold him, let alone herself, upright. He looked her in the eyes, his own losing spark, losing color, losing life… "I'm sorry I can't keep the promise I just made… Please, kill me…"

" **Sorry, Lia."**

 _Subaru was shot through the head with a spike of ice, and laid limply in Emilia's weakening arms, both of their worlds were crushed in the matter of minutes, and all of it was caused because of events that happened four hundred years ago…_

 _Emilia knew this was the end. Yes, this man who came into her life a mere five weeks ago changed everything… And now he was dead. Contemplation took over, though ni thoughts were processed… All that she was able to do… Was cry._

 **Again, this was a rough draft. this chapter would have been... so much more detailed, the later half would be actually written to an acceptable level, and I think I didn't put in a few important parts too. either way, come back when it's revised... it'll be there then. Ciao!**


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